Return of the ultimate enemy
by Magicwolf360
Summary: Maddie and Jack have never liked the ghostboy. But when the ultimate enemy escapes from Clockwork, will they be forced to help Danny Phantom?
1. Chapter 1

Danny looked over his shoulder in alarm as the ghost came hurtling towards him. He jumped out of the way, just missing deadly razor claws. Tumbling through the air, he crashed against the roof of a building and moaned in pain. Through a little earpiece, he could hear Sam and Tucker speaking frantically.

"There are way too many!" Tucker said nervously.

His fingers were tapping away at a keyboard hurriedly. Danny stretched his back and looked to the city. He had never seen them coming... hundreds of ghosts pouring out of the portal and attacking the city. Not only did they have claws, but their skin was literally paralyzing. Danny's hand had been frozen for a whole day before any feeling came back. Now he ducked as a dozen of them glided by. Popping his head up, he took a deep breath.

"Guys, this isn't going to work. We should regroup and think up another strategy."

On the other end, Sam nodded solemnly. Danny began flying, zipping around the ghost mobs. Something hit him! A scream crash through his throat as he tumbled through the air. A net was wrapped around his ankles as he fell. Below, Maddie and Jack Fenton were shooting ghosts left and right. Maddie smirked at seeing the ghost boy caught before Jack blasted a ghost next to her face.

"This is fantastic! I haven't seen this much business in years!" He exclaimed.

Maddie chuckled and continued blasting. The minute Danny touched the ground, the net extended and wrapped around his entire body. Focusing on his energy, he gasped.

"I can't become intangible... I-I'm trapped!"

As if reading his mind, Maddie leaped down beside them, lips curling up.

"Nowhere to run, _ghost!_ "

"Yeah, this is _really_ smart. Immobilize the only guy who can actually stop this invasion."

Her eyes hardened even more.

"Shut up, Jack and I can stop this invasion-"

"How?! With your weapons that never actually work?"

"They work!"

"And yet I always seem to escape"

"I don't see you escaping right now."

Danny paused. She had a point. He was about to fire back, when a ghost appeared behind her. She didn't notice and he raised his hands, about to plant them on her back. _Oh God, what will happen if he paralyzes her back_?

"Look out!"

Maddie whipped around and blasted the ghost is a a small glob of Ectoplasm. She stared at the disintegrated ghost, then back at Danny with a confused and suspicious expression.

"Why did you just warn me?"

Danny searched his mind for an answer, but ended up just shrugging.

"Heat of the moment?"

She bought it. While Danny was tied up, she went to go help Jack. Danny huddled, trying to not be seen by any of the ghosts. Fail. Three or four spotted him and were gliding his way. He struggled against the net, whimpering and yelling out. The two ghost hunters heard him and turned to see the ghosts advancing.

"They're going after our prize!"

"Get 'em!"

The two jumped in front of the ghost-boy with their weapons. Their enemies hissed and attacked, claws lashing out. Maddie ducked around expertly, while Jack just sort of fumbled around. One grabbed her arm and she screamed as it paralyzed. Danny wanted to jump up... to help. He winced as Jack was touched so many times that all he could do was stand. One ghost, different from the others, floated up through the ground. It looked old with a long white beard and red eyes. With a small smile, it gently flicked the ghost hunters eyes closed, enabling them unable to see. Danny looked at the ghost indignantly.

"You'll pay for that," he warned.

The ghost snickered. Crossing his arms behind his back, he strolled easily to the boy and knelt down.

"You're right... I will be paid for that."

Danny's eyes flickered in confusion.

"By who? Who are you working for? Skulker? Vlad?"

"Oh no, I don't associate myself with such weak ghosts. My master is the absolute and undeniable ruler of the ghost zone."

"Pariah Dark?"

"No, no. I don't associate with such weak ghosts."

Weak? Pariah Dark had once been the ruling tyrant of the ghost zone! The ghost bowed slightly before bringing his head up.

"My name is Grindle. I know you do not know me, but you will... Sire."

"Sire? W-What's going on?"

"What's going on, is that I escaped Clockwork," a voice said behind him.

Danny twisted around to see Dan standing tall. Dan... his ultimate enemy... Unlike the last time Danny had fought him, he was now wearing a regal looking outfit. His white hair flamed up as he stared down at his younger self. _So pathetic... so weak_.

"I guess now's around the time you would say something like 'you'll never get away with this'. Am I right?"

Danny didn't say anything, just stared.

"I don't understand, I defeated you."

"No, I exist outside of time now. Clockwork was a fool if he thought he could keep me trapped. And I'll finally get the revenge I seek. I'm a reasonable guy, so you tell me who to pick off first. Sam? Tucker? Maybe Jazz?"

"You stay away from them! This is between you and me."

"And them," he said, gesturing towards his frozen parents.

Dan moved past Danny towards Maddie and Jack. His younger self rose a quizzical eyebrow.

"Leave them alone. You don't need them."

He sighed and turned to Danny. When he spoke, it was with a condescending and patronizing tone.

"Don't tell me if I do or don't need them. Trust me when I say I have something very special planned."

Danny gritted his teeth and struggled against the net. Dan threw back his head and laughed at the boy's attempt. He reached for Maddie, and Danny was about to yell out, when the air above them exploded. Grindle cowered down, but Dan just looked up with a hardened gaze. Clockwork came shooting out of a portal, holding a long staff. Lightning cracked form the staff, making the ground go up. Dan was thrown to the floor as he looked at Clockwork and hissed.

"Isn't this interfering with the laws of time?" Dan accused.

"Not when you exist outside of time," Clockwork replied evenly.

The ultimate enemy smiled and shot at the ghost of time. Clockwork easily dodged and cracked his staff against Dan's back. Dan screamed and plummeted down. Clockwork made a move towards Danny.

"No! Save them," Danny said, motioning to his parents.

The ghost nodded and rushed towards Maddie and Jack. Taking them, he started to soar up into the portal, but Dan instantly fell on top of him. The two wrestled, Clockwork trying to protect Maddie and Jack. A ghostly wail erupted from Dan, sending Clockwork spiraling backwards. Somehow, he managed to get to the portal. In a last effort to throw Dan, Clockwork closed the portal and collapsed in his tower. He had left Danny behind... Glancing at Maddie and Jack, he sighed. Dan was smart, he knew what to do. In his conquest, he had enlisted Grindle's help, but Grindle existed outside of time. All Dan needed was an ally rooted in the timeline, and then Clockwork couldn't interfere. Taking another glance at Maddie and Jack, a plan began to form.

"Yes, she will do quite nicely. He might still need some training... of course, I'll still need to convince them, but I can work with this."

Taking Maddie and Jack, he dragged them to a separate room in his tower and placed them down. He laughed to himself and shook his head.

"Oh the irony. You swore to destroy all ghosts... now you're forced to save one."


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie's eyes fluttered open painfully. At first, everything was blurry but she realized that she was staring up at a ceiling. Jack was beside her, still sleeping. Shaking him, he grunted and rolled over on his side.

"Go away, Mommy, call me when the flapjacks are done."

She rolled her eyes.

"Jack, the flapjacks are done."

Jack popped up, eyes wide awake as he searched around. When he didn't see his favorite treat, he shot an accusing glance at her, but she ignored it.

"Come on, we have to figure out where we are."

Standing, she ran a hand along the wall. The material was almost ancient... as if the stones had been made centuries ago. Turning, she was about to devise an escape route when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Whipping around, she came face-to-face with Clockwork. A smile curled up his lips as he went from an old man to a baby.

"Well, well. Looks like my guests are awake. Sorry if I've been a bad host... I don't exactly get a lot of visitors."

"Why have you brought us here, ghost? I'll blast you to oblivion!"

She reached for the Fenton Blaster that was always at her side. It was gone. Panic flood through her as she realized that any and every weapons was taken.

"If I had my things, you would be nothing but a splattering of Ectoplasm," she growled.

"But you don't have your things. I took them," he answered coolly, "and now, I need your help."

"Why would we ever help you?" Jack piped up. Clcokwork rolled his eyes.

"Because your entire planet and reality depends on it... not to mention your son. Do I have your attention?"

The pair stared at the spirit for a while. Shaking their heads, they crossed their arms firmly. There were many lines that they would cross... but helping him? Never. Besides, he was probably lying about Danny. He had to be... Clockwork sighed and groaned.

"Fine. If you want to be impatient babies about it."

A light blue glow surrounded the three of them. Jack and Maddie looked around wildly, trying to grab onto something. They started to spin as a they were thrown side to side in what appeared to be a large clock. They screamed as a bright light flashed and they were thrown against a wall. Sliding to the floor, they rubbed their heads before examining their surroundings. Clocks filled the room, ticking loudly. At one end of the room was a green orb hanging in midair. Clockwork was at it, staring into it intensely.

"If we don't hurry, it'll be too late."

Too late for what?" Maddie asked in a small voice.

"To stop Dan, the most dangerous creature that has ever existed."

Maddie crawled to the side and got a glimpse of the orb. Danny Phantom was shackled up in a small cage. He fought against the chains, but couldn't become intangible. Outside the cage, a man was laughing and making a wide gesture. The orb panned out on an entire army of ghosts, millions filling the streets. The humans ran into their homes, shutting the blinds. The older ghost taunted Phantom a bit more before turning his back. Phantom's teeth gritted and he made one last ditch effort to throw himself against the older.

* * *

Pain shot through Danny as electricity was sent through him. Dan yawned and smirked.

"It's no use, Danny. I know the limit of your powers. After all, I _am_ you."

"I will never be like you!"

"... Someday. You will be like me. It's inevitable."

Danny panted, slumping down. Sagging on the cage floor, he hung his head but was forced to glance up as Dan tilted his chin.

"Look on the bright side. Soon, I will rule, and I'm not totally heartless. You can join me. We might have to get rid of your humanity though."

Danny growled a bit before Dan let go of his chin. Taking a step back, Dan gave a small wave.

"I'd really love to stay and catch up, but I have armies to run, places to conquer."

* * *

Maddie and Jack kept staring, even when the image faded out.

"Why did that ghost talk about Phantom's humanity? He obviously has none."

Clockwork sighed.

"That's where you're wrong. He's one of a kind, unique to any ghost. He's half-human."

Maddie gasped and shook her head.

"No! I don't believe it! T-That's impossible! You're lying!"

Clockwork bit his lip, staring at her. A part of him knew that he had to tell her... but it would be against Danny's wishes. _No, if they don't know, they won't help_.

"Take my hand. We're going on a little trip."

Without waiting for them, he wrapped his hands around theirs. Another flash of light exploded and they were sent spiraling backwards, through the time-stream. Jack's eyes widened as vision of historical events passed in front of him. He could almost reach out and touch one... They landed hard on their back, on the cold floor. Clockwork helped them to their feet. They were in the basement. The ghost portal was in front of them, before it mysteriously began working. Up ahead, they could see... themselves.

"This is past, two years ago. Thanks to me, we're invisible to them."

Maddie wanted to say some quick remark, to jab at the ghost, but she couldn't. Her past self was reading a blueprint and shaking her head sadly.

"Jack, it's never going to work," past Maddie pointed out.

Her husband hung his head in agreement as he stared at the nonoperational ghost portal. Next to them, Danny was sweeping the floors and looked up at them.

"Why would ghosts even want to hurt us? They're just spirits." He mumbled.

Past Maddie turned and began speaking as if lecturing a child.

"Honey, ghosts are pure evil. They will stab you in the back when you least expect it. So we need to prepare ourselves. The first chance we get, we'll dissect one and rip it apart to find out how it works."

Danny shrugged and went back to sweeping. At that moment, Sam and Tucker came rushing down the stairs, faces lit up.

"Danny! They just released Dead Rush 2! And I got a copy!" Tucker held up the case proudly.

"You go on, Danny. You can use the screen down here. Jack and I will be upstairs, making more plans."

As they were leaving, Sam took a step towards the portal. Glancing over at Danny, she motioned to it.

"What's that supposed to be?"

"Another failed invention, I don't even know why they bother."

Sam whirled around suddenly, and dug through her bag. Taking out a camera, she pointed at the portal.

"I dare you to go inside."

"Why?"

"For a picture, dummy. You scared?"

Maddie and Jack started trembling as they realized the danger, but Clockwork held them back. Danny put on a suit and traveled inside the portal.

"It's off... nothing's going to happen to him," Maddie whispered to herself.

Danny unknowingly pressed something. A scream ripped through his throat as his hair blasted white, and his eyes turned green. Sam and Tucker tried to run forward, but the force of the ghost portal activated pushed them back.

"Danny!"

"Sam! Tucker! Help!"

Danny crawled out of the portal on his hand and knees. Sam and Tucker rushed forward, trying to support their friend, but he instantly fell back down again. Maddie and Jack gasped. No, this couldn't be true... they slid to the floor in shock, unable to comprehend.

"This isn't real. It's an illusion!"

"Use your eyes. This is the past, when Danny Fenton became Danny Phantom."

* * *

 **Yes, a cliffhanger, I'm evil :). But I won't give spoilers! I'll never crack muahahaha.**


	3. Chapter 3

Past Danny stumbled and groaned. Sam and Tucker were running to his side and draping his arms over their shoulders.

"Danny! Come on, your parents might be able to help!"

Danny's eyes shot open as he pushed away from his friends. As he did, half of his body became invisible, making him yell out.

"Don't tell them! You can never tell them!" Danny cried out.

Without waiting to see what happened next, Maddie whirled around to face Clockwork.

"See? That's not our boy! He wouldn't keep this from us!"

Jack instantly went to her defense, puffing out his chest as he spoke.

"You know what I think? Either this is all an illusion... or a ghost possessed Danny while he was in the portal. We know Phantom can overshadow creatures... so what if he has no physical form?"

Maddie was catching on quickly to what her husband was saying. She nodded in thought.

"And when the ghost saw Danny, it found the perfect opportunity to wreck havoc on our world! Oh, my poor baby, forced to have some _spirit_ invade his mind!"

Clockwork's eyes widened. _Wow, they're bad parents_. How could they not see what was right in front of them? He opened his mouth to say something, but was instantly hushed by Maddie.

"Okay, ghost. You got what you wanted. We'll help you. We'll take Phantom from that ghost and we will make sure it never bothers our son again."

Their ghostly guide blinked. Conflicted, he glanced between the two of them. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed their help. But he was still ignoring Danny's wishes... _I can never convince them... only Danny can do that_. Plastering on a fake smile, he gave a small bow. The Fentons sensed the change in the air and looked at each other worriedly.

"I think it's pretty clear we don't like each other. We just need to do what needs to be done. Maybe you would care to see more of Danny's past?" Clockwork offered.

He asked this last part too hopefully. It made the Fentons narrow their eyes and shake their heads.

"No, we just want to save Danny."

"And save him you shall."

The three of them were bathed in a bright green light. Maddie and Jack prepared themselves mentally for the violent journey, and Clockwork decided to have a little revenge. They screamed, trying to grab something. Hurtling at impossible speeds and being thrown side to side, they landed with a loud thump pain shooting up their bodies. Clockwork's grip on his staff tightened. Glaring down at the pair, he made his way over to a large cabinet. Throwing it open, Maddie and Jack watched as he plucked out two swords. One had a long blue blade with fire spitting out the end, while the other had a green blade. Another look made them realize that the green blade was a copy of the blue... just covered in Ectoplasm. Clockwork gruffly tossed the swords to the Fentons, who stared at them quizzically.

"What do you want us to do with this?"

"Train. They're immune to most of Dan's powers."

"Who is Dan?"

The ghost flinched. He didn't want to tell them, they already had enough hate towards Phantom as it was.

"He's a possibility, not a reality. It was possible for Danny Phantom to grow up to be the most evil ghost to ever exist. But he eradicated that future."

Maddie and Jack took a step back, complete horror covering their faces.

"I knew we should've destroyed the ghost," Jack whispered.

"No, Jack. That would've killed Danny."

"Didn't you hear anything I said? Danny eradicated that future, gone form time! In all meanings of the word, Dan is a paradox. And as a paradox, I don't know his game plan."

* * *

Dan leaned back in his new throne. It was polished black and peppered with rubies. Outside, people were still screaming as the last of the Amity Park humans were being rounded up. Danny was cringing every time he saw a ghost taking some people. He looked up at Dan with as much disgust and spite as he could muster.

"Where are you taking them?"

"None of your business."

Danny growled and folded his arms across his chest. If he could just trick Dan into giving him his plan...

"And here I thought you were actually clever."

A short laugh escaped Dan. His red eyes flamed up, making Danny wither back.

"You're going to try that thing that you do with Vlad? Sorry, _pipsqueak,_ but I'm not Vlad."

With another amused chuckle, he got up from his throne. Eyeing one of his guards, he snapped his fingers, motioning towards Danny.

"Watch him. I know how resourceful he can be."

The guard saluted and marched up to Danny's cage. Giving Danny a small wave, Dan sauntered off to check on his plans. Unlike his older self, this ghost was quiet. _Well, if he hasn't killed me now, that must mean he needs me_. With that thought in mind, Danny got bored easily. The minute he would so much as touch one of the bars, the ghost would hold up its weapon menacingly. A loud crash suddenly echoed out. The guard turned, distracted, and something zoomed behind and blasted him. Danny fell backwards, looking around wildly. From some shadows nearby, he saw Valerie step out with the blaster hanging over her shoulder.

"If it isn't ghost-boy."

Danny scrambled, kicking his legs out. If Dan wouldn't kill him, Valerie would! His eyes squeezed shut, fear shooting through his mind. A hand gently touched his. Eyes popping open, he looked up to see Sam smiling down. Valerie and Tucker were next to her, Valerie working on the cage.

"Sam? Tucker? How?"

He looked at Valerie in question, but she just sneered.

"I'm not happy about it, but I guess I'm helping you, ghost."

Sam leaned in and whispered.

"We told her Danny Fenton was with the crowd of rounded up people, and that you were the only one who knew where he was."

Danny gazed at his friend gratefully. She caught his eyes, and they looked away. Now wasn't the time for this. After a little fiddling, Valerie was able to unlock the cage. She held up her blaster with a small glare.

"Remember, I'm keeping my eye on you."

Shrugging, Danny flew out of the cage and soaked in the surroundings. The streets were flooded with ghosts. All of them had the deadly nails. All of them had the paralyzing touch. He swooped back down to join the others and pointed towards Fentonworks.

"We can hide out in the Fenton's basement until we have an opportunity."

Valerie growled, obviously not happy about the idea. Cautiously putting his hand on her arm, he made Valerie intangible, with Sam and Tucker soon following. As they traveled through the streets, none of the ghosts paid any attention to them. It was eerily quiet in the Fenton basement, making Danny shiver. He was so used to hearing his parents talking or hearing machines and experiments buzzing. Almost immediately, Valerie swiped her hand away, still glaring at the ghost boy.

"Do you seriously expect me to just sit here and do nothing?" She seethed.

Danny's fists clenched in frustration.

"Unless you have a plan to get through the hordes outside, that is exactly what I expect."

"You just made us invisible! That's how we can sneak around."

"And do what? Invisible means intangible. We can't do anything to hurt or slow them down. Any kind of rescue mission is suicide."

Sam and Tucker inched to the wall, glancing at each other nervously. Deciding to be the peacekeeper, Sam stepped forward.

"Relax, okay. Valerie, we'll have an opportunity when the time is right. Until then, play nice."

Valerie nodded, never taking her eyes off of Danny.

"I'm going to see what I can scrounge up for food."

With that, she turned and began walking away briskly. Even though they were facing a life-or-death situation, Danny hated the idea of her going through the fridge. He took a step forward, when he felt both his friends put a hand on his arms.

"Danny, don't. As much as you two hate each other, she's a powerful ally."

Danny sighed, trying to release his anger. Turning, he moved towards the Fenton packs hanging on the wall. There had to be a ration somewhere in there. Tucker pulled Sam to the side.

"You know they're going to kill each other," he said matter-of-factly.

"As if I don't know that already. We just have to get through this. They _will_ work together, whether they like or not."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Quick thing: there's a voting going on in my other multi-chapter fanfiction called Blackjoy. I have recently completed it. In the epilogue, there are a couple of choices for my next multi-chapter. Leave a review in that story and tell me which one you'd like to see. Thanks :).**

"You let them escape?" Dan boomed.

His eyes glowed red, making his ghosts shrink back.

"You can't do anything right, you miserable piles of Ectoplasm," he growled.

Looking towards the sea of ghosts that were invading the town, he forced himself to relax. It wasn't over yet... not until he had Jack and Maddie.

* * *

By now, the couple had become masters of the sword. Clockwork was a hard trainer, summoning ghost after ghost for them to fight. Soon, they learned that his teaching method really was swim or sink. One ghost lashed out and clipped Maddie's side, making her fall in pain. Clockwork snapped his fingers and the ghosts disappeared, leaving the three of them alone. After a quick inspection, he deemed that it was a surface wound. Snapping his fingers again, two ghosts appeared, dressed as nurses.

"They'll take care of you," he said simply.

He motioned Jack to follow him, deciding to use the time for solo lessons. While they were practicing, Maddie rested, letting her thoughts gather. This ghost would be the most dangerous they ever faced... she sighed and closed her eyes, grateful for the short break. The minute she was doing better, she and Jack were back at it. Clockwork looked on approvingly, nodding and giving small pieces of advice. After a while, Jack and Maddie's arms were aching, their palms sore.

"We can't keep going on for eternity," Jack mumbled.

Clockwork groaned.

"Fine. I keep forgetting you humans need sleep. I'll take the time to watch over Amity Park."

The words barely left his mouth before the couple collapsed from exhaustion. Clockwork floated over to his monitor and tuned into the present... but it wasn't working. He tried to keep his hands from shaking as he was forced to watch a blank screen.

"The paradox... the present is hidden from me..."

* * *

"So, what _is_ the plan?" Valerie asked, leaning against the wall.

"Take out Dan, don't get killed in the process," Danny answered coolly.

"Shut up. You know what I meant."

Danny looked at the map of the city his parents kept. Tracing a finger along the roads, he pointed at city hall.

"I think that's where Dan set up his fortress. At least, that's where I'd put it."

He left out that little convenient detail to Valerie. She stared at the map.

"I just wish I knew what he was... then I could take him down."

Even though Danny couldn't tell her the whole truth, there were parts he could help with.

"He's a hybrid of two of the most powerful ghosts. A ghost mixed with evil."

"So, in other words, he's a scourge. Is he this bad in the ghost zone too?"

"How would I know?" He realized his mistake too late. Valerie looked at him in confusion.

"It's your home... isn't it?"

"Well, um,"

"Spit it out."

"Yes and no. The ghost zone... created me? But I've never lived there."

Valerie stared at him for a few seconds. He seemed to be getting emotional... maybe now was the chance to get information.

"When were you spawned?"

"I guess... two years ago?"

Valerie nearly choked.

"You're two years old? Here I thought you were at least a hundred."

He gave her a look and she smirked. Before he could give her a comeback, she pointed at a spot on the map. Amity Park Hill. It was straight north from the city hall.

"I saw two or three people being pushed north. That might be where they're being taken."

Danny nodded thoughtfully. Turning, he was about to lift up, when he felt Valerie's hand on his shoulder. She mustered up as much fake sympathy and concern as she could manage and smiled.

"If you want to talk, I'm here."

His eyes narrowed.

"That would be really touching if it were sincere."

Valerie cursed under her breath and shrugged.

"It was worth a try."

Danny decided to ignore that, making his way to the basement, and leaving Valerie alone in the kitchen. Valerie stood there for a few seconds, drumming her fingers against the counter.

"Hello, Valerie."

She jumped, whipping around, she fumbled for her blaster and held it out as Dan materialized in the air above her. He grinned and bowed dramatically, making Valerie's grip on the trigger squeeze. Dan would've been worried, if this were the Valerie from his timeline. But her hands were trembling slightly, eyes glancing back at forth from her weapon to him.

"How did you find us?"

"I know how Phantom thinks."

Valerie waited, expecting the specter to make a move. Instead, he casually leaned against the fridge and started talking as if they were friends.

"How about that weather, hmm?"

"I don't know what your game is, but I'm going to stop you!"

"Stop me? How can you stop me when you don't know what I'm capable of? Phantom was right, you and your little human friend would make an excellent servants in our new world."

"You're working together," she choked out.

"Of course," he lied, "do you really think Phantom is interested in the safety of Amity Park? Valerie, you played right into his hand. And now, I'm going to finish you."

In the other room was one of his ghost minions. Dan could go anytime to retrieve any item... so why not find Control Freak's staff before it broke? His minion focused on the orb at the top. Down in the basement, Danny paused and stood up, eyes flashing red. The minion's voice whispered into his mind, giving him his instructions. Almost in a trance, Danny floated up the stairs and back into the kitchen. Valerie gasped when she saw him and pointed her blaster in his direction instead. Danny smirked, throwing back his head and laughing.

"Come on, Red Huntress, you know you can't stop me. I'm too powerful."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!"

She fired. Danny went intangible and swooped down, grabbing Valerie. She screamed and began firing randomly in the hopes of hitting one of them. Danny flew up with her, right through the ceiling and onto the roof. Valerie grunted in pain as she was dropped harshly, a scrape forming on her elbow. Danny shot down, ready to pummel her. She expertly rolled out of the way. Phantom crashed onto the roof and groaned. For just a second, his head was clear. He looked up at Valerie weakly.

"Help me," he managed before his eyes glowed with red.

He went for her again, green energy building up and shooting out of his hands. Valerie ducked, punching and kicking at just the right moments. Danny landed in a heap, pain numbing him. Dan smiled at the scene in front of him. His work here was done. Valerie looked around wildly for Dan. He was gone. In front of her, Phantom was trying to get up. She blinked, not sure what to do. Finally, her eyes squinted and she grabbed Phantom's collar, bringing him up to her eye-level.

"You listen here, Phantom. I don't know what just happened, but you're going to tell me everything. The ghost zone, you, Dan... everything. I won't rest until I know all your secrets."


	5. Chapter 5

Valerie locked the basement door to keep Sam and Tucker out. The last thing she needed was a lecture on morality by some Goth girl and tech geek. Danny had been handcuffed to the workbench and moaned as he blinked, noticing Valerie going through a checklist of weapons. She stopped, catching his eye.

"You're awake, good. I have a couple of questions, and you're going to answer them."

"Seriously? Haven't we already done this before?"

"Yeah, but this time, there's no half-ghost little girl to distract me. So, why did you decide to masquerade as Amity Park's hero?"

"I wanted a big shiny medal," he said sarcastically.

Valerie crossed her arms in annoyance.

* * *

Maddie and Jack sheathed their swords expertly, smiling at each other. They had just defeated three of Clockwork's best warriors... they felt like they were ready to return. Clockwork inspected their handiwork with the weapon, every once in a while nodding approvingly.

"You've learned well."

"So why aren't you taking us back to Fentonworks?" Maddie piped up.

Clockwork winced. He didn't want to tell them the truth. An alliance and formed between them.

"I... I don't know what awaits you."

Even as he said the words, Clockwork hated them. He was used to knowing what would happen in the timeline. Not knowing was practically killing him. Maddie and Jack looked at each other and shrugged.

"Us mortals can't see the future. We just go with the flow, and somehow we've survived. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

Clockwork looked at them and sighed.

"Fine. I don't know how much help I'd be able to offer, though."

Jack and Maddie nodded in understanding. A soft green light pulsed around them, growing in intensity until they had to squint. When they opened their eyes again, they were back in the Fentonworks basement. Valerie whipped around in surprise.

"Mr and Mrs. Fenton? W-What happened to you?"

Maddie glanced back and forth between the ghost hunter and Phantom. Phantom. She stared at his features and bit her lip. It was Danny alright... possessed by a ghost.

"Valerie, step away from Phantom. It- it's our son."

* * *

Danny nearly gasped, but forced himself to stay cool. But his mind was racing in a million different directions. _They knew? How long have they known? Where's Clockwork_? Valerie was stuttering, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Have you lost your minds? That ghost isn't Danny!"

His parents looked at him for a couple of seconds. At first, Danny could make out something... love? Admiration? It was soon gone, their expressions hardening.

"You're right, Valerie. That ghost isn't Danny. But we know Phantom can overshadow people. He's using Danny's body as an anchor in our world."

Valerie's eyes widened, seeming to process this. _No! That's not true_! Panic began building up in Danny's chest. He scrambled backwards, shaking his head defiantly.

"Wait! It's really me! Mom, Dad, Valerie, I _am_ Danny Fenton!"

"Don't try any of your tricks, ghost. We'll free Danny, and when we do... we will exterminate you."

The three ghost hunters immediately flew to a large closet, filled with inventions. Jack and Maddie started rummaging around, looking for something to get the ghost out. Danny looked towards the door. He could hear Sam and Tucker talking frantically.

"Help!" He screamed.

Someone started pounding on the door.

"Danny!" He heard his friends call out.

Danny focused his energy. Maybe if he could just get back to his human form... but his adrenaline was rushing too much. It was too hard to concentrate!

"I found something," Jack called out.

Dread shot through Danny as his mom and Valerie went to inspect Jack's findings. The phantom splicer. It looked like a big dream catcher, but Danny remembered falling through it... having his ghost and human self split. They dragged it out and placed it in front of Danny. It was now or never. He forced himself to be calm... just enough for the ring of light to form around him. It warped over his body, making him human. Valerie froze, not sure how to react. Jack and Maddie faltered, suddenly rushing up to their son.

"Oh my gosh, Danny, are you alright?" His mother asked worriedly. Danny picked up his head.

"Don't do this. My ghost half is still me. It's not evil."

They stared at him blankly. Valerie was just off to the side, scratching her arm. Maddie looked at Danny again and choked back a sob.

"Danny, did you willingly let this ghost use you as an anchor? You know how evil they are. It's just trying to trick you. You'll understand when this is all over, when you have your freedom back."

"No, you don't understand. My molecules... I _am_ half-ghost. It took a while, but I can control my powers, and I've been trying to do good. You two have taught me everything I know about ghosts. I've been fighting them back, protecting our city. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

Maddie and Jack glanced at each other. Maddie's expression was pained and she gazed at Danny.

"Honey, we love you, but it's impossible for you to _be_ half-ghost."

"How would you know? You never take the time to study one! You just dissect it and learn what you can from the remains. Why else wouldn't I have told you?"

Maddie considered this. She could almost believe him, she wanted to believe him. But memories of previous encounters with ghosts surfaced. Undergrowth had controlled their minds, Plasmius had threatened their city countless times. She looked down at Danny. He was looking up at her with wide eyes, pleading. Jack's eyes met Maddie's and they knew. Whether or not this ghost was good or not, Danny loved it. They just had to bide their time until they could purge the ghost from their son.

"Of course we believe you sweetie."

Maddie stroked Danny's hair, but couldn't help noticing the phantom splicer. _Soon_. Valerie was standing to the side, unable to move. Danny cleared his throat and shrugged apologetically, a small smile crossing his face.

"Guess this explains a lot, right?"

Valerie trembled and shook her head forcefully.

"I thought you liked me. Were you softening me towards ghosts?"

Without waiting for the answer, Valerie ran out of the basement, almost knocking Sam and Tucker down as she ran out. Danny winced and looked at his parents gratefully. They couldn't help stiffening a little as he embraced them into a bear hug.


	6. Chapter 6

Maddie stirred the pot of soup in a trance. In reality, she was staring at Danny, sitting calmly at the table. He shifted uncomfortably, making Maddie force her gaze away. Jack wasn't as discreet, narrowing his eyes, observing Danny's behavior. Danny gave a weak smile and began to stand up.

"Don't even think about moving from this table, mister," Jack said in a low voice.

Danny sat.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Vlad's mansion, Dan was stretched out on the sofa. Behind him, Plasmius was throwing out curses and trying to escape the cage.

"Save your breath. You're never gonna get out."

Vlad growled, but continued blasting at the bars. Dan flipped through the channels until he was staring at the Fenton basement.

"That bug you planted in their house really has come in handy. After all, know your enemy, defeat your enemy," he said, beaming at Vlad.

On the monitor, Dan nearly choked when he saw Maddie and Jack in the kitchen. A slow smile began crossing his face as he stood.

"Clockwork, I'm surprised. I thought you were smarter than this."

Laughing, he went intangible and shot through the walls.

* * *

Danny drummed his fingers on the table. His parents were watching him like hawks, flinching every time he moved. Sam and Tucker watched from the hallway and winced.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Tucker suggested.

"We can't. They need to work this out themselves."

Danny finally sighed and took a breath.

"Look, I know this is hard-"

Danny yelped as he felt cold fingers grab the scruff of his neck and throw him across the room. Pain shot through him as he landed with a thud, vision blurry. Jack and Maddie leaped up, drawing out the swords.

"Show yourself, ghost!"

Dan materialized in front of them, releasing a booming laugh. Jack was the first one to take action. He charged out, swinging sword masterfully. Dan dodged it easily. A clone of himself separated and went to go fight Maddie. Danny groaned and tried to get to his feet. Another clone shot out and grabbed up, bringing him up into the air. The clone looked down at his parents and laughed again.

"What has Clockwork told you about me?"

"Just that you're a paradox... and need to be stopped," Maddie said venomously.

Dan rose an eyebrow at Danny and faked being hurt.

"No one ever told them about us? Do we look _that_ different?"

Maddie hesitated at stared at his face... and then it hit her. She gasped and shook her head.

"But you're- you can't be- Danny!"

"Actually, I just go by Dan now. But thanks for finally seeing it."

Maddie screamed and slashed her sword.

"I already changed my future! I'll never be like you!"

Dan chuckled.

"We'll see."

More clones shot out, overwhelming the Fentons. There was no way Danny could fight so many...

"Let them go!"

"Oh, but why would I want to do that?"

No giving Danny the chance to answer, Dan threw him. Danny landed on the floor and shook his head to clear the ringing. Gathering up all his strength, he stood and ripped out a ghostly wail. Dan's eyes widened in surprise as he was thrown into a wall. All the clones around them shattered like glass, some tried to escape. Jack and Maddie ran for cover, watching as the ghostly wail shredded the wallpaper, made cracks appear in the entire room. Danny's body trembled from effort, but he kept going. Everything in front of Danny was demolished with dust billowing up. The dust got into his lungs, making the wail stop short as he exploded into a series of coughs.

They waited, watching the spot Dan had been thrown. The table had landed there in a pile of rubble, but Dan's hand appeared, followed by the rest of him. He grimaced as he got up, barely able to stand on his feet. Danny wasn't so lucky. Every limb shook with exhaustion. Dan used the wall for support. It was a standoff... whoever fell first lost. Just as Danny was about to crumble, his parents shot out and supported him.

"We will never let our son fall to the likes of you!" They yelled.

They searched their lab coats but gasped when they realized they didn't have a Fenton thermos. Dan's eyes narrowed, but he took a step back.

"Until we meet again."

He floated off, wincing from pain as he left the house. _Okay, brute force is bad_...

Jack and Maddie carried Danny over to their sofa and laid him down gently. Maddie stroked a hand through his hair and couldn't help smiling to herself. Danny fought _himself_... just to keep them safe. Danny's eyes flickered and he passed out, instantly returning back to human form. His parents began the futile attempt of cleaning up the kitchen. As they moved a large part of the table, Jack called Maddie over. There was a thermos on the floor. Only... it was covered in rust and bent at weird angles. Maddie plucked it from the ground and checked its settings.

"Jack... there's something in here."

They went down to the basement and to the ghost containment unit. Inserting the thermos, they stepped back as the bright blue light filled the basement. A girl shot out of the little machine. She looked dirty... her clothes were rags and her white hair was matted. If Maddie could guess, the girl looked to be around eighteen. She stumbled and grunted, looking up at the Fentons. There was something eerily familiar about her... Her words were forced, as if she were trying to remember how to speak.

"Where's Dan? I need to get to him."

"Who are you?"

"I'm his cousin, Danielle. Dani for short. Release me. I have to get to him!"

Maddie and Jack's eyebrows rose.

"Why do you need to get to him?"

"I'm the only one who can stop it... stop him."

"Mom? Dad?" Danny called out.

Dani's head whipped towards the staircase.

"D-Danny? It's not possible!"

Danny wandered down the stairs and gaped when he saw her. The two stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Finally, bursting into a smile, Dani ran towards her cousin. Danny looked at his parents.

"Let her out. She won't hurt us."

When they did, Dani embraced Danny and buried her face into his hair.

"I never thought I'd see you again!"

"What happened to you?"

"I've been trapped in that thermos for three years. Trust me, I counted."

"Why did Dan have your thermos? Was he the one who trapped you?"

Dani's expression hardened.

"Yes. He didn't trust anyone with it except himself. Come, sit down. I have much to tell you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Just coming by to say that with school and everything, I'm going to be posting a chapter every Friday so watch out for them :).**

Danny and his parents sat down on the floor anxiously. Dani looked at them and sighed.

* * *

"Back in the days when Danny's ghost first merged with Vlad's, he wasn't all evil. He was more confused than anything... he just happened to bring chaos wherever he went. With all his family and friends killed in the Nasty Burger explosion, he went to find me. For years, I was the only family he had. I became a consultant, offering advice and just being there for him. He wanted to rule the world, defeat his enemies. I was the only one who could reason with him. He was no hero anymore, but he wasn't a dictator. As time passed, he grew more power-hungry. I was the only one he'd talk or listen to. By all means, I was his conscious.

Soon, he wouldn't even listen to me. He went on a rampage, conquering. I convinced him to spare the places he conquered... just to rule them. And he listened. He ruled harshly, but not unfairly. At first, no one seemed to mind. He would open to me, show whatever was left of his humanity. Then one day, I was walking through the courtyard and up ahead, Dan was watching his kingdom from the sky. I joined him and we just hovered there for a while.

'It's not enough. Why is it not enough?'

'Power's hollow. You can't change that, Danny."

'Call me Dan. Danny is too childish.'

'Really? Look, I'll call you that if you want, but my advice would be to keep your old name. It's part of who you are.'

'Part of who I am? That old me died six years ago.'

'Yes, but it's good to have a remnant to the past. I'm not just a clone anymore, but I kept my name.'

'But I don't want anything to remind me. I don't want that weak little half-ghost to be my past.'

I could tell he was getting agitated. Realizing to step back, I simply nodded and left. For the entire day, he acted strangely. A part of me knew he wanted to destroy something. And then I realized that it was me. He hadn't seen it yet, but that evil part of him recognized that I was an obstacle. It was just a matter of time before it clicked in his head. So I did the most stupid thing I've ever done... I ran away. In the middle of the night, I sneaked out and found the old Fenton portal. It was still operational, so I left. Even the ghost zone was under Dan's rule. It took some time, but I finally found Dan's enemies. Skulker, Ember, even Technus and the Box Ghost were there. They weren't happy about my presence, but they decided to tolerate it.

After about a year of being with them, I was out hunting for food for The Lunch Lady. And the net caught me. I struggled under it, just to see Dan standing above me. For the first time since he became evil, he looked hurt. I tried to take advantage of this.

'Please, Danny, don't hurt me. Please.'

I knew Dan was torn. He kept staring at me, trying to decide what to do.

'I could never hurt you. But I can trap you.'

And then he took out the thermos. From that day forth, I was in that little container, tied to his belt. I couldn't see anything, but I heard everything that happened. His empire fell at his own hand and he tried so much to erase any trace that I had ever existed. But being able to hear everything gave me some interesting information-

* * *

Danny and his parents perked up.

"You know his endgame?"

"Yeah. He feels like you took something very important to him. You didn't destroy that alternative future... it's just floating somewhere as an alternate dimension. I believe he's built a machine in order to open a portal to that dimension. If he does that, not only can he retrieve his allies, but he could spread his chaos to other dimensions until they're all under his rule. The machine requires three parts, the thing you loved most from your past, the thing you love most from your present, and something that represents what you want in the future. I was his present, the only one who kept him grounded. Think about it though. Who's the person you would die for?"

Danny didn't even need to think about it.

"M-My parents."

"Exactly. He wants to use them to power his machine."

"How do we stop him?" Jack piped up.

Dani's gaze turned down. She didn't look up at them as she spoke.

"It's impossible. I've watched some of the greatest ghosts go up and fail against him. Danny, you are nothing but a speck in his path."

"If you've always been there, then you know I defeated him once."

"He wasn't expecting it. Unless you have some totally new powers that would surprise him, it's hopeless."

"Nothing's hopeless. Come on, we figure this out."

* * *

Dan had just returned to Vlad's mansion. He collapsed and turned on the TV. Almost immediately, he sat up. The action brought another wave of pain. But sure enough, there she was. Talking to the Fentons. No matter how hard he had tried to erase those pesky human feelings, he felt his heart squeeze. She had betrayed him... why would he still care about her? _Because you're weak_. Behind him, he heard Vlad gasp.

"Is that Dani? S-She's all grown up."

"No thanks to you. You've tried to kill her numerous times."

Dan paused. Why was he defending her? He stared at the screen and sighed.

"You've gone soft, Daniel."

Dan growled and looked at Vlad.

"Look who's talking, Fruit-loop. Dani had her chance to be at my side. We ruled this planet together. She betrayed my trust... and for that... she must die."

"Careful. You don't want to go making mistakes in your conquest for revenge."

Dan's lips curled up and his eyes glowed.

"Maybe I would be corrupted. If I cared for her."


	8. Chapter 8

They stared at maps and made strategies the entire day. Pretty soon, everyone's hands were cramping... and they still didn't have a creditable plan. It was just a jumble of scribbles on papers and blackboards. At one point, Jack felt like everyone was looking at him, so he wrote on his paper _I'm pretending to write something down._

"Ugh! This is never gonna work! It's useless!" Dani screeched.

Danny wanted to go over and comfort her, but he kind of felt the same way. He had had to develop an entirely new power to defeat Dan the last time. What chance _did_ they have? Finally, Maddie just stood up, causing an avalanche of papers to crash to the floor.

"This is insane. We are the Fentons! Why are we just hiding in the basement? That's not like us! If we're going to do this, we're going to do this right! I think destroying that machine is our #1 priority."

The group mutually agreed. Maddie smiled and continued.

"Once it's gone, we'll focus on Dan. I'm tired of sitting and waiting. Let's actually get something done!"

* * *

"Oh no she didn't!" Dan yelled, standing up.

Vlad cackled behind him, wiping his eyes from tears of laughter. He stared at the screen and sighed.

"Ah, Maddie. No nonsense. Unlike Jack..."

"Again with Jack? Even now, I find your obsession with my mother freaky."

Vlad opened his mouth, then closed it. Dan groaned and shook his head, straightening.

"Whatever. They want to speed my plans up? Well, if they're ready to go, then so am I."

* * *

The Fenton RV raced down the street. There was a ghost shield protecting them, so any ghost that tried anything went _splat_. Danny looked out the window. The streets were deserted. Some of the ghosts had even gone as far as breaking the walls to some of the buildings. _They'll pay for that_. Up ahead was a small horde of ghosts, ten maybe fifteen. Maddie hesitated, but tightened her grip on the wheel. The shield would protect them. She gunned it, the force pushing everyone in the van against their seat. The ghosts blinked in surprise and screamed as they were thrown up into the air. Danny gulped nervously and tried to grab onto something as Maddie jerked the wheel violently.

The ghosts scattered, shooting into the air. Jack cursed.

"They're getting away!" He whined.

"Can we focus on the plan?" Dani asked in a small voice.

Jack and Maddie reluctantly agreed. Dani nearly threw up as they accelerated. Her grip tightened onto Danny's arm as they hit sharp turns and didn't bother avoiding sidewalks. They screeched to a halt in front of the Main Hall. The ghosts went for them, but Jack and Maddie went out blasting with their Fenton Launchers. The ghosts screeched and ran away, leaving the four of them standing in front of their HQ. Dani's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"That was too easy."

"Yeah... I don't like this. Guys, maybe we should go back," Danny piped up.

Maddie and Jack acted as if they couldn't hear them. But Maddie was wincing. If they could destroy this machine... destroy everything... would Danny still be half-ghost? A part of her knew the answer was yes, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. Hoisting up her Fenton Launcher, she gave a curt nod to Jack and they crept along the side of the building.

"Arrrrrgh!"

Jack burst in first, firing madly all over the place. Something above them snapped and they only had a seconds notice before a large cage slammed onto them. Dani and Danny gasped.

"It's a trap!"

"Run!"

Dani and Danny swooped into the air, when they both squeaked. The ghosts oozed out of the abandoned buildings now. They touched them with their paralyzing claws and smiled in satisfactions as they tumbled through the air. They landed on the ground with a thud and moaned as the ghosts stood over them.

* * *

Danny was the first one to wake up. He was tied to one of the columns, facing a large machine. There were three glass containers connected to a smaller device with buttons and levers. Maddie and Jack were pressed together in one container, Dani by herself in another. The last one had a boy around seventeen. His black hair was swept back and when he opened his eyes, Danny yelped. They were a deep red. The boy looked at Danny and laughed.

"Hello there."

"Who are you?" Danny asked in a small voice. The boy smirked.

"In reality, I'm nobody. Just a cheap copy, but still as effective. Good thing Dan perfected Vlad's cloning skills, huh? The name's Ezra."

Danny glanced at his friends and family before turning his attention back to Ezra.

"Okay. Who are you to Dan?"

"I guess in a strange way, I'm like his son. My mom was human, and my dad was ghost. When I was younger, my mom died... and I had never met my dad. So I was basically living in the ghost zone on my own for a couple years. Dan found me and when he realized I was half-ghost, well, let's just say he made me the heir to his empire in case anything ever happened to him. It only seemed right that I sacrifice myself for the real Ezra." He said so matter-of-factually.

Danny shifted, not knowing how to respond. Dan came out of the shadows and stood next to Ezra's container with a large smile.

"Ezra will make a fine ruler when I'm gone."

"When you're gone?" Danny asked in a small voice.

Dan cleared his throat and turned away from his younger self.

"Use your eyes. How old do I look? I'm aging and I'm going to age. I don't know how long I'll live, but I _will_ conquer this world."

Danny's eyes moved to Dani. She was already stirring, but her eyes were still paralyzed. And then it clicked.

"You're lonely." Danny said slowly. Dan scoffed.

"What?"

"You're not lonely, but you feel like something's missing. Your humanity. Dani and Ezra make you feel as human as you could possibly be."

"That's a lie."

"No it's not. And you know I'm right."

Dan hesitated for a second. Shaking his head, his eyes flashed red as he growled.

"Shut up. You're just trying to save your little friends. You're still too naive to ever see the truth," he taunted.

Danny's brows furrowed as he struggled against the ropes.

"At least I'm not stupid," Danny shot back.

Dan hissed and moved towards Danny. Getting to eye-level with him, Danny shrank back.

"Getting rid of my human side was the best thing that ever happened to me. And pretty soon, you'll wish you didn't have yours."

Fear shivered through Danny.

"What are you planning?"

Dan's lips curled up.

"In order to open the portal, I need their essence, their hearts, beliefs, desires, love, everything! Everything that made them who they were will be gone... used as fuel for my machine."

Danny's eyes widened. Dan straightened and looked towards the machine happily.

"Oh look, it's starting."

"Wait, no!" Danny shouted out. Dan paused at looked at him in curiosity.

"I-I'll make a deal with you!"

"Oh? And what deal may that be?"

Danny looked at the floor and sighed.

"If you spare them, I'll... I'll become you. You will be my future."

Dan blinked in surprise. Taking a small remote out of his pocket, he hit a button and grinned.

"It's a deal."

* * *

 **That's right! I'm evil! Muahahahahahaha ha ha ha ha *cough* *cough***


	9. Chapter 9

Inside the glass chamber, his parents and Dani stirred. They opened their eyes slowly and looked up in surprise at Danny.

"Sweetie, what's going on?" Maddie asked in a small voice.

Danny didn't answer. His gaze went down as Dan chuckled next to him. The enemy looked at Maddie with a sickening kind of glee.

"Your son just doomed the world. And the great, noble Danny Phantom can't go back on his word," he said this last part tauntingly towards Danny.

Danny's eyes narrowed. He struggled against the rope, trying to become intangible, but failing every time. Dan knelt down to eye-level with Danny and sneered.

"It's no use. Remember Dad's old ghost fishing line? Well, I improved it."

"You'll never get away with this!"

"Oh, but I already have. Either way, the future I come from will become reality.

* * *

Inside one of the chambers, Maddie pulled Jack to the side. Fishing around in her purse, she took out a lipstick and gave him a curt nod. He instantly understood and kept an eye on Dan as Maddie worked. She uncapped the lipstick and pressed it up to the glass. A small laser shot out, cutting a hole for them to squeeze through. Maddie capped it and pecked a kiss on Jack's cheek.

"Best Christmas present ever."

Dan's back was towards them. Danny noticed them and turned his attention back to Dan. How to distract him?

"No matter what happens, I'll still be better than you," Danny burst out.

Dan straightened in confusion.

"That... doesn't even make any sense. Where's your logic? You _will_ be me! You'll evolve, making me instantly better."

"Bet you still couldn't beat Dash."

"A school bully? I was too busy _ruling the world_."

"So... you didn't get revenge on Dash. I rest my case."

"Was I really this annoying-"

Suddenly, Dan yelled. He crumpled to the ground, writhing and twisting in pain. Behind him, the Fentons had attached a small device to his back. Dan squirmed on the ground, moaning and crying out as he desperately tried to tear the machine off. Maddie kept an eye on him while Jack ran to untie Danny. His son leaped up and hugged him, smiling.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Of course, Danny. Half-ghost or not, you're still a Fenton! Us Fentons have to stick together."

Ezra pressed his face against the glass.

"No! Stop it right now! I'll destroy all of you!"

Ignoring him, Danny turned to his parents.

"I don't have a Fenton thermos!"

"That's okay, we need to get out of here," Dani said.

The trio nodded and scrambled after Dani. Dan got to his knees, body vibrating from the pain. He looked up at the ceiling.

"Minions! I call on you! Get them!"

Danny pressed a hand on them. The four turned invisible, lifting up into the air. Dan looked around him, still falling and screaming.

"You can't escape me, Danny! You made a deal! A promise! Remember you told me you don't break promises. If you break this one, you'll become me anyway."

Danny hesitated, but pressed on. He had made the deal. What was he thinking? His mind got so lost that he didn't notice Dani slipping in his grasp until she was tumbling through the air. She screamed and tried to become intangible, but only her arm succeeded. Danny gasped and dove for her, almost dropping his parents. The minions pounced on Dani gripping her tightly and squawking madly at Danny. Danny maneuvered in the air, trying to find a spot to catch her.

"Just leave me!" Dani screamed.

"No, I'm not leaving you behind!"

"You don't have a choice. I'll be fine. Dan won't hurt me."

The ghosts got between them again, making Danny growl. His eyes flashed bright green and he mumbled some not-so-nice things. Maddie reached for her purse and managed to grasp the lipstick. The ghosts screamed as she aimed and fired at them. They smoked, leaving a small hole. Billows of the smoke drifted up, blinding Danny. He whipped around, trying to pinpoint her location. A scream ripped through the air.

"Dani!"

The smoke got in his eyes, filling his lungs. His parents weren't doing so well either. They coughed and shivered. His vision blurred and he could feel himself tipping in the air. Just as his eyes were about to become crusted shut, a hand wrapped around his arm. His eyes opened in surprise as the smoke drifted below them. He looked up to see Valerie had hand-cuffed him to her hover-board. In one hand, Dani was hanging limply. Danny smiled up at Valerie.

"Aw, you _do_ care."

"Shut it before I take you back."

Danny chuckled.

"You're the boss."

His arms trembled from carrying his parents. Valerie looked over at him worriedly and somehow managed to pull the Fentons onto the board.

"Let's give Phant- I mean, Danny, a rest. Dan will be looking for us."

"Where will we go?"

"My apartment."

Danny bit his lip. The last time he was there, wanted signs of him had littered the walls. Of course Valerie hadn't bothered to take them down. Maddie picked one up and stared at it quizzically.

"Hmm, I never thought I'd see the day when my son was public enemy #1."

Danny chuckled nervously and excused himself. Valerie walked in the opposite direction and Dani almost instantly passed out on the sofa. Maddie and Jack looked at each other, sighing.

"Everything's so different now."

"It's about to change a whole lot more," a voice echoed.

The couple looked around in curiosity, relief flooding them.

"Clockwork?"

He appeared in a flash of blue light in the shape of a clock. He smiled down at the two of them as his face changed to an old man's.

"Sorry I haven't been much help. Dan's had his goons messing up the timeline. TVs in the sixteenth century, ink and quills in the twenty-fourth. He's been running me to my breaking point. And my vision of the future is still blurred."

Maddie and Jack told him everything that had happened since their arrival. Clockwork listened thoughtfully, nodding every once in a while.

"That deal with Danny and Dan... they have to go through with it."

Maddie and Jack's eyes widened.

"What?"

"If Danny goes willingly to Dan, it will create the most problematic future. I'll be able to see Dan's plans, and maybe help stop him."

"But we can't ask Danny to do that!"

Clockwork sighed, changing to a baby.

"Either he does it or I can't help you. I have the power to manipulate and trap Dan once and for all, but only if I can see his plans! If Danny agrees to this, Dan won't be a paradox anymore. He'd have substance and I'd be able to capture him. You must convince your son to do this."

They opened their mouths in protest, but Clockwork was already gone. They looked at each other and gulped. Danny had been freshening up in the bathroom. When he came out, his parents sat him down and told him everything. Danny shifted uncomfortably.

"He's kidding right? Go through with it? We barely escaped."

"Please, Danny. I know it's asking a lot. But we need you to do this."

"I can even help," Dani muttered, waking up, "I can change your appearance. Trick Dan into thinking you're changing into him. It could work."

"Yeah! You could go saying that we rejected you once we saw what you were becoming!"

Danny glanced between them and sighed.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Princessbinus: Yeah, I see your point. It's just that in every episode of DP I've ever seen, both are used together. He always turns invisible when going intangible, and intangible when going invisible. I know there's a difference, I just always thought of the two combined when it came to Danny. But I still appreciate the comment :).**

Dan knew it was a trick. He wasn't stupid. Danny had given a small knock and did his best to look depressed and rejected.

"That promise I made with you backfired."

Dan scanned him. Wow, they did a good job. Danny's eyes turned down in sadness and he gently shook his head. His skin was a pale green and he wore blood red contacts. Valerie had wanted to actually cut Danny's tongue into the shape of a snake, but for some reason, the others were against the idea. Dan chuckled and stared at Danny.

"Nice try, kid."

Danny's eyes widened and pure fury raged through them. Dan's eyebrow rose quizzically.

"Try? _Try_?! How dare you! Everyone I care about hates me now, and it's all your fault!"

"Then why are you coming to me?" Dan asked, sounding bored.

"Because... I want revenge. They think they can just toss me to the side? I'm the halfa, the greatest ghost that has ever existed."

The enemy resisted the urge to yawn.

"Uh huh. And how do you propose we do that?"

Danny smiled deviously. He imitated Dan's posture. Not too much, but just enough for it to look natural.

"That machine of yours? It would never have worked because you didn't have me on your side. Now think about the possibilities."

"You want to try the machine again?" Dan asked incredulously

"Not in the way you think. Dan, you're so small-minded. You want to rule dimensions and conquer all. I have a better plan."

Dan scoffed and shook his head in amusement.

"Okay, I'd like to hear this brilliant plan."

"How about instead of just ruling the dimensions that already exist, we create new dimensions? Expand the kingdom as much as we could ever hope. With your machine, we could find a way around the paradox problem. Imagine thousands if not millions of Dan Phantoms spreading their chaos?"

Dan stared at Danny in surprise. That... actually wasn't a bad idea.

"What are you playing at?" Dan asked suspiciously.

Danny blinked, losing his focus. Dan's red eyes seemed to look straight through him. Danny shifted uncomfortably and tried to look nonchalant. It wasn't easy with your demonic future self examining every move you made.

"I told you... I want revenge. With my family against me, I couldn't possibly hope to beat _you_. There's a brilliant saying- if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Dan didn't say anything for a second. It was just a trick... just a trick. A slow, calculating smile crossed his lips.

"Okay, Danny. You're really becoming me? How about a little test, then?"

Danny sucked in a breath. He'd been expecting this, but a small knot still formed in his stomach. Puffing out his chest, he laughed cockily.

"Of course! Anything you can throw at me, I can accomplish."

Suddenly, Dan grabbed Danny's arm and led him inside the Main Hall. Some ghosts were already fixing the glass chambers his family had escaped. Ezra was off to the side, lazily fiddling with a loose string on his shirt. When he saw Danny, his teeth gritted.

"Ugh, what's _he_ doing here?" Ezra asked Dan.

Dan simply waved the boy off and gestured toward Danny.

"He's a... friend," Dan looked back at Ezra, "remember I told you you might be needed for something else?"

Ezra's eyes widened, but he nodded. Dan smirked.

"Danny, if it helps, Ezra here is a clone, a replica. I want you to destroy him."

"You want me to kill him!?"

Dan chuckled.

"It's not killing if he doesn't really exist. The real Ezra will be alive. You're just getting rid of the clone. Besides, I can always make another."

"B-But what about Dani? She's a clone! Are you saying she's not her own person?"

"Dani was an experiment. A failed one, at that. Ezra comes from a time when cloning has perfected."

Danny glanced at Ezra. He was standing up, challenging Danny with his eyes. Danny shivered under the gaze. There had to be some other way...

"What if I destroyed the city? Amity Park would be nothing but rubble."

"You could do that for fun. You said you could pass any test I threw your way. This is my test. Either pass it or fail."

Danny's legs buckled. Dan rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to make even _easier_ for you? What if it was in self-defense?"

Ezra shot up. His whole body became willows of smoke as he went intangible and flew over Danny's head. Danny leaped out of the way and balls of purple fire reigned down, smoking the carpet floor. Dan laughed and flew up to the ceiling to spectate. Ezra lunged at Danny, his fingers becoming claws. Danny yelled as Ezra raked his claws against Danny's chest. He swirled back and was about to finish the job when Danny whirled and blasted out green fire. Ezra yelped and darted to the side, continuously firing his purple energy. Danny shot some more bursts, making Ezra slam into the wall.

"Why don't you just escape?" Danny asked in a low voice. Ezra sneered.

"You understand nothing, _weakling_. Ezra looks through these eyes. Even in his lost dimension, I am nothing but a vessel. My mind is permanently linked with his. Anything I hear, he hears. Anything I see, he sees. You're fighting an impossible battle, Phantom."

Danny inhaled, getting ready to use the ghostly wail. Ezra beat him to it. He ripped out such a large wail that Danny was thrown backwards. He slammed his back into the mayor's podium and crashed to the floor. Ezra laughed, but it sounded more like a snake hissing.

"You don't know how much it pleases me to say good-bye, Phantom."

Danny yelped and held up his hands defensively. His shield surrounded him, but he could feel the heat from Ezra's blasts. Smoke curled up from the shield.

"Stop hiding like a coward!"

More blasts. Danny shot forward and slammed into Ezra. The two wrestled in the air, throwing punches and blasts. Danny's hands glowed blue as he glared at Ezra. The boy came again, and Danny held out his hands. Ice froze Ezra in midair. The sculpture fell to the ground, cracking down the middle. Danny gasped. He was about to go down help him, when he heard slow clapping from the ceiling. Dan smiled giddily, yet he seemed surprised at the same time.

"Well, done. I'm honestly impressed you had the guts to freeze him. You passed the test."


	11. Chapter 11

"So you trust me now?" Danny asked skeptically.

Dan snorted.

"Trust is a very strong word. I'm willing to collaborate. Besides, if you betray me, I can always just kill you."

Danny stiffened, but didn't say anything. Dan moved towards his machine and sighed.

"I suppose we should start those modifications? My minions will aid you. I must grow another clone of Ezra."

He strode off quietly. Danny stared after him and turned his attention to the machine. Already, ghosts were gathering, watching him intently. One narrowed its eyes, as if saying _don't try anything... we're watching you_. Tucker had told him everything he needed to do, but it was so easy to forget. Danny began tinkering inside the machine, flipping switches and connecting wires. Glancing back at the ghosts, he bit his lip thoughtfully. He just had to sabotage this thing... his fingers went for one of the wires. he was about to pull it when he felt a presence behind him.

"That's not the right wire," Dan said smugly.

Danny's heart raced, but he forced it to stay under control. Nothing good would come if he panicked now.

"Really? Silly me..."

"Nice try, Danny. Let's get something straight. I know this machine like the back of my hand. Any changes you make will be instantly recognized. Unless you're ready to admit that you're a spy."

* * *

Maddie and Jack were sitting on Valerie's couch, staring at the wall worriedly. They leaned against each other and sighed.

"Jack... I hope he's all right."

"Come on, Maddie. He's the ghost-boy. If we could count how many times he slipped through _our_ fingers-"

"But can he escape _Dan_?"

Jack didn't answer. Honestly, he didn't know the limit of his son's powers. The thought made him shiver. Maddie fiddled with her jumpsuit's zipper.

"I wonder if Jazz knew... I wonder how she'd doing in college."

Jack gave a small nod. Kissing his wife's forehead, he smiled down at her.

"Just think- after all this is sorted out, we'll have the power to ground the ghost-boy!"

"And take away his computer-"

"And don't forget locking him up in a ghost proof container."

"We are such good parents."

"I don't know, I kind of feel sorry for him," a voice piped up.

The couple turned to see Dani leaning against a wall. Her hair was still a shaggy mess, but it was shorter. Dani confirmed it by holding up a pair of scissors.

"Long hair always bothered me."

"So how do you know our Danny?" Maddie asked.

"I'm his clone," she said matter-of-factly, "but we like to call each other cousins."

"Cousins?"

"Duh! Vlad was the one who made me."

Their eyes widened. Dani's brow furrowed until her eyes dawned with realization.

"That... was probably something for Danny to tell you."

"That's ridiculous! Why would Vlad make a clone?!"

Dani shrugged uncomfortably.

"I really shouldn't-"

"Tell us!" Maddie growled.

Dani winced. She glanced back at the others. Sam and Tucker shrank back. Valerie just looked bored. One more look at Maddie and Dani felt herself wither. Maddie looked ready to bite her head off. Not that she'd blame her.

"It's a long story. Really Danny should be the one telling you all this. Basically, Vlad was experimenting with clones. I was the most stable and independent. He called me his daughter... but he was just using me to get to Danny. That's really all I should tell you."

They didn't look happy with that explanation. Standing up, Maddie grabbed Jack's wrist. Her face was stuck in a scowl. Yup, she wanted to rip the world apart right now.

"That creep! Come on, Jack. There has to be someway to get in touch with our college _buddy_."

Ignoring her husband's protests, she dragged him out of the living room. Valerie watched with an amused chuckle. Sam shot her an icy look and crossed her arms.

"What's so funny?"

"Them. I would pay to see their faces when they learn the truth."

Sam opened her mouth to retaliate. Valerie stared at her for what felt like an eternity before Sam closed her mouth and gave a small smile.

"I'll bet you twenty bucks their eyes fall out."

"Can you stop betting on people's terror?" Tucker grumbled. Valerie smirked.

"Whats wrong, Tucker? Sad you never actually got me?"

This time, Sam did retaliate.

"Hey, mess with my friend, you mess with me. Leave him alone."

"Nah. She's right. I am a loser," Tucker muttered.

He stood up from the table. Sam watched after him, wrestling with herself. Valerie looked down guiltily.

"I'll go talk to him," Valerie said.

Tucker barely looked up when she approached.

"Great, what do you want?"

"Well I _was_ gonna apologize. Must be hard just waiting like this."

"If Danny needs us to sit and wait, then I don't mind it."

"Stop lying. You hate being powerless. At least... I do."

"You're not powerless! You're Red Huntress, fearsome hunter of ghosts! You _own_ the playing field of ghost fighting! You're never powerless."

"I was when my dad and I had to move here. I was when he lost his job... I was when it came to getting Phantom. You and I are a lot more alike than you'd want to admit."

Tucker paused. That was true...

"Danny wasn't lying when he told you that ghost dog wasn't his."

"Whatever. It still destroyed my life. Phantom just seemed like the perfect target."

"Do you still like Danny?"

Valerie turned her head. Clearing her throat, she rolled her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Even if I did, he's perfect for the Goth."

Tucker didn't know how to respond to that. He was about to open his mouth, when a scream ripped through the air. They flew to the other room to see Jack and Maddie faced off against a ghost. The couple was stuck, staring into the creature's eyes.

"What's wrong with them?" Sam whispered.

The ghost growled, revealing needle-point teeth. Dani gasped and pushed her way through.

"I... I know what that is! It's from the old future... the one Danny eradicated. Nobody make any sudden movements. Dan's machine is already having an effect. The realities are leaking together."

* * *

 **Wow, it feels like so long since I've updated. So yeah, I was always a DannyxSam shipper, but I don't know, I always thought the show would build more of a relationship around Tucker and Valerie. Probably not going to do a lot with them though. And now a little song to describe the long wait between the last chapter and this one:**

 **Oh Writers Block, why must you be so horriiiiiiblllle.**

 **Oh Writers Block, even now these lyrics are terriblllllle.**

 **I hate you, go away, get out of my life, bother someone eeeeeelse.**

 **Actually, just go die in a hole, no one wants you**

 **You make me stare at the ceiling and waaalls.**

 **Can't get through my day.**

 **I think I'm going insaaaAAAAAANE.**

 **WRIIIIIIIITERRRRRRS BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCK.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Guest: I know that. I don't know exactly when my story takes place, but it's after The Ultimate Enemy and Kindred Spirits. Hence, Danny would know Dani and Dan at the same time.**

"They're trapped in their worst fears," Dani whispered, "Whatever you do- don't look into its eyes."

Maddie and Jack trembled a bit. Sam looked at them worriedly, then turned to Dani.

"Can they hear us?"

"No, they're too engrossed in their worst fears."

The ghost kept perfect eye-contact with the pair. No one tried to move as the beast stared down.

* * *

In Maddie's mind, she was lost in the woods, looking around.

"Danny? Danny! Please, hon, answer me!"

A sob gathered up in her throat, but she forced herself to stay focused. She heard footsteps behind her and whirled around, ready to punch anyone who dared mess with her. She froze and backed up.

"No..."

She saw herself covered in green ectoplasm. The other Maddie gave a smile.

"So glad we could dissect that ghost boy. Now we can destroy everyone like him."

"No, this isn't real. Danny's alive."

"But he won't be for long. How long until your curiosity takes over? It'll start out as a few experiments and before you know it, you'll be your own son's downfall."

Maddie covered her ears.

"Danny!" She tried again.

A green glow appeared above her. Danny appeared with legions of ghosts behind him. He smirked at Maddie, spreading his arms wide. He looked like a miniature version of Dan. Unlike the disguise they'd given Danny, this one seemed to radiate pure evil.

"Look at this! You're torn between hurting or helping me. What if you hurt an innocent boy... or help a malicious spirit?"

"No! Danny isn't evil!"

"But aren't all ghosts evil? How do you know this _thing_ in Danny won't just kill him anyway?"

"He's my son and I love him!"

"But he's part ghost. How do you know if he loves you?"

* * *

In Jack's head, he was in the lab. He saw another version of himself staring at a picture of Maddie, Danny, and Jazz with a sad expression. Jack willed his legs to move, but it felt like they were glued. The other Jack noticed Jack.

"I could've saved them."

"W-What happened to them."

The other Jack sneered at him and shook his head.

"Our clumsiness happened. You know you're nothing but a big, fat oaf. You're too silly for anyone to take you seriously. You know you'll make your experiments bigger... more impressive. Until one day... it'll take away everything you love."

The other Jack motioned to the lab.

"You know you'll grow old as a loner, somehow losing Maddie."

"I- I have friends," Jack stammered.

The other one laughed dryly.

"Like who? _Vlad_? After everything you just learned about him? For all you know, he might be the reason you lose them."

"They would never turn to Vlad."

The scene shifted. Danny was in ghost-form, floating in the sky. He landed on the ground and curled up. Somewhere behind him, Plasmius appeared out of the shadows. He smiled down at Danny.

"I told you staying by your idiot father was a bad idea. Join me... I can make you into so much more."

"Don't do it, Danny," Jack warned under his breath.

Danny took Vlad's hand and smiled. The scene shifted again to Vlad standing next to an evil Danny. Danny's hands lit up in flames and he burst out laughing along with Vlad. Jack shook his head strongly, glaring at his other self.

"Make it stop!"

"Why? You know it's the truth."

* * *

Dani was inspecting the pieces of rope Valerie had given her. She stretched it out and looked back at the ghost. It was the size of a bear, but looked way more deadly. In addition to the teeth, it had chainsaw-like claws and matted fur. Sam crossed her arms doubtfully.

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

Dani shrugged.

"It's not like we have another choice. The Fearling strikes so much fear into their victims that it eats up their souls slowly until the victims are dead. Then it eats whatever is left."

"Sounds charming."

"Okay, I'm going into their subconscious. On their own, they don't have a chance. But I might be able to bring them back."

Before the others could ask what any of that meant, Dani went intangible. Hovering over Jack and Maddie, she sucked in a breath an plunged into Maddie's mind.

* * *

The mother was running through the forest. It took everything she had to not break down sobbing. She could hear Danny laughing behind her as he swooped in for the kill. Maddie screamed and held her hands up. But nothing happened. She peered out to see Dani surrounding the two of them in a force field. Danny was outside pounding furiously on the shield.

"You can't hide from yourself forever!"

"Maddie, listen to me! You're the only one with the power to make him go away. That's not your son."

"But what if he becomes that?"

"He won't. As long as you love him, he would never turn his back on you."

Maddie looked at the ground. Her violet eyes met Danny, who was still attacking the shield with everything he had.

"It sounds just like him..."

"It's the Fearling. Dan created them as an experiment. He wanted them to spread across the universe, doing his bidding. They were just animals and went rogue, multiplying in the ghost zone. Come on, Maddie. It's just an animal."

Dani's words echoed in Maddie's head. Just an animal. Danny sure was acting like an animal. Maddie smiled and closed her eyes, imagining her son. Happy memories of Danny playing and running flooded her head until she couldn't hear the pounding anymore. Her eyes cracked open to see that she was back in Valerie's apartment. Sam and Tucker quickly pulled her out of the way. The Fearling tried to go after her, but couldn't move without breaking eye-contact with Jack.

* * *

Dani floated around the Fenton lab, looking for Jack. She heard a quiet sob and drifted over to see him curled up into a little ball. He looked up at her resentfully.

"Came here to torture me even _more_?"

"Jack... you have the power to leave whenever you wish. Nothing you've seen here is real."

"Yes it was."

Dani blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Vlad really is a ghost. He's evil and I let him get close to my family. I really am an oaf and someday I _will_ make a fatal mistake."

She bit her lip. Sitting down next to Jack, she smiled.

"The future's only what you make of it. Maddie has never had a doubt about you. Why would she now? Sure, you might be a bit clumsy, but it's who you are. It's who Maddie married."

Jack stared at her. Another voice broke through. Dani cringed as Vlad appeared in front of them. He laughed triumphantly.

"Don't listen to her, Jack. She's obviously the piece of your mind trying to take pity on you. I have a better solution. Join me. Join Danny. You've seen the monster in your son. If you can't fight him, join him."

"No, no, no. Jack, don't do it. The Fearling's trying to take you over! Danny needs you to be strong. He needs you!"

Jack didn't say anything at first. Finally he looked at Vlad.

"Why would I join someone who lied to me?"

Dani let out a breath. Vlad's eyes widened as he began melting into a little puddle. Everything around them disintegrated until Jack was in his own body again. Dani appeared next to him and he smiled.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Uh, guys," Sam interrupted, "w-we s-still have the Fearling."

 **You kind of have to squint, but there is an Easter egg in here for one of my favorite animated movies (Not Danny Phantom related). Leave a comment if you know which movie/book/fandom the Easter egg is from :). Always great to see other people in my other fandoms :D. And I'll reveal the egg in my next chapter.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Adventuregirltwi: Yay, you got it right :). Glad to see someone else out there read the books :D  
**

The Fearling roared, baring its fangs. Dani jumped out of the way and shielded her eyes. Maddie scrambled to the other room and threw open her purse. She rummaged through the packs of gum and ghost equipment until she pulled out a thermos.

"There you are, you sneaky little thing."

She paused. If they used this thermos, would there be enough room for Dan? A yell rose up from Sam, and Maddie made up her mind. She raced back into the room and threw the thermos at Dani. The girl caught it easily and whistled. The Fearling's head snapped in her direction. Dani smirked, her gaze down.

"See you in the ghost zone."

She uncapped the thermos and held it away from her body. The Fearling shrieked, clawing at the rug desperately. It swirled up in the air before disappearing. Dani examined the thermos and winced.

"There's no room left for Dan."

"So we just blew our only chance at beating him?" Tucker piped up.

Dani smiled reassuringly.

"Nah, there's always a way. Dan's a lot more vulnerable than he wants to admit."

* * *

Danny finished twisting the screw in place. He took a step back to critique to his work. The machine was running smoothly. It looked sleek and ready for operation. That was bad. Dan floated behind the boy, smiling.

"What do you know? You actually improved it! Good work... _Dan_."

A shiver went up Danny's spine.

"M-maybe you should call me Danny for now. You know, to avoid confusion."

Dan rose an eyebrow and chuckled.

"You're changing in more ways than you know, my dear boy."

It took all Danny had not to lash out and strangle the guy. Danny paused, the feeling washing over him. He wanted to strangle him... like _actually_ strangle. He chuckled, scratching his neck nervously.

"Yeah.. don't we all change at one point or another?"

Dan didn't say anything at first. The look he gave Danny seemed to say it all. _I know you're pretending... I know you're a fraud. But I'm still going to win_. Danny checked the machine again. Tucker better have been right about this...

"Stay here and keep working. I have a quick errand to run."

Danny looked at him suspiciously. Dan laughed and floated off, turning intangible as he left the building. Danny looked at the screwdriver in his hand. He could still feel the presence of his ghost babysitters... so no sabotage. He looked up at where Dan had disappeared and sighed.

* * *

Dan soared over the streets, looking from side to side. Up ahead, he could see Fentonworks. Danny's friends wouldn't be stupid enough to hide out there. Besides, he wasn't looking for Danny's friends. He touched down lightly, marching over to his destination. It was an old warehouse on the dock. The guards outside gave him a curt nod before allowing him entry. Inside, cages lined up the walls. Some were filled, but most were empty. Dan stopped in front of one cage and looked in.

"Hi, there."

"Ugh, what do you want? Just let me go!"

"Good to see you never lost any of that fire growing up. Don't worry, Dani, you'll be free soon enough."

Present-day Dani growled. She launched herself at the bars, eyes narrowed.

"I don't know who you are- but you'll be sorry you ever messed with me."

"Oh, I'm trembling."

He waved her off easily and continued walking. He passed by an unconscious Ember, a suspended Wulf, and a tied up Frostbite. If looks could kill, Dan would be dead ten times over. The real treasure was in the back on the warehouse. He sidestepped a few boxes and stopped in front of a small case. He picked it up, admiring its simplicity.

"What little wonders you hold, my little box."

"Put that down! You are not permitted its use! And no one steals from me!"

Dan turned to the voice in annoyance. Pandora was also trapped, her wrists tied together.

"I should really have the guards muzzle you. But I'm too nice for that."

"The box is none of your concern. Leave it and set me free."

"Why? So you can blast me to bits? I don't think so, Princess. Your box has a purpose."

"Oh? And what could that be?"

Dan threw back his head and laughed. The sound made even the mighty warrior ghost shrink.

"I know what Danny's planning. You see... I know that machine like the back of my hand. Danny thinks he can trick me into being sucked into another dimension. He thinks I'll be trapped there forever. Your box is going to help me with that little problem. Once the portal opens, the box's magic will be released and Danny will become the most cruel and vicious ghost to ever exist. Possibly even more nasty than me! And now all of his potential allies are out of the way. It's a win-win situation."

Pandora snatched at the bars.

"You'll never win. I'll smite you where you stand."

"Bold words for someone in your position. Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but I believe Danny is going to betray me soon."

"Won't you still be sucked into the portal?" Pandora asked quizzically.

Dan shrugged casually.

"Nah, when is anybody going to learn that I'm _always_ one step ahead?"

The young Dani picked up her head.

"Why do you care if Danny's evil? Why can't you just leave him alone?"

Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to cry. No way she was going to show weakness to him. Dan knelt so his face was the same level as hers.

"Because I need a true heir... one of my own flesh and blood. Doesn't get closer than Danny, does it?"

"No matter what you do to him, I'll always stick by him. I'll save him," Dani yelled.

Dan stared down at her. She really hadn't changed over the years.

"That's what you say now. Come seven or eight years, and you'll stop trusting Danny. You'll stop loving him. You'll think he's nothing but a monster. Every day, the hate will grow and grow until you snap. You'll leave him alone and scared, just because you were too."

Dani's mouth gaped. Before she could say something, Dan swept his cloak around him. As he walked out, he called out over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Dani, hon. Soon it'll all be over and the Danny you once knew will be dead."


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been working on my latest story, Kings and Enemies. It's a crossover between Danny Phantom and Heroes of Olympus, so don't forget to check that out if you have the time :).**

Danny looked up when Dan came striding back in.

"The machine's done," Danny said with a smile.

Tucker had done all the calculations. Hopefully sucking Dan into another dimension would work. His enemy leaned over the machine skeptically.

"And what about having to harness your friends and family's essence?"

Danny's teeth gritted together. _Don't lose your cool now. Not when you're so close_. Danny paced around the machine, trying to mimic Dan's walking style.

"Oh we'll still need my old friends and family to make it work."

"Excellent. My ghosts have already made another Ezra clone. I guess all we need now is dear Mom and Dad... and my _cousin_."

The way he said that last part made Danny flinch. He didn't trust himself to respond. So he pretended to just inspect the machine instead.

"Where are they?" Dan asked suddenly.

Danny's head whipped up in surprise.

"How would I know?"

"Don't play coy with me. Even if your story was true, they had to disown you _somewhere_."

"Wow, you really have a way with people. I set them down in front of Fentonworks. They saw that I changed and demanded that I leave. Nothing more, nothing less."

Dan's eyes narrowed. His younger self puffed out his chest, eyes set. _Does Dan believe me? Come on, pretty please with a cherry on top_. Dan turned to his minions and snapped his fingers. The ghosts bowed their heads in respect and went intangible.

"My ghosts will find them. You stay right here and relax. You've earned a rest."

Danny wanted to protest. He couldn't let his guard down, but the way Dan said it, he knew he didn't have a choice. Another ghost led Danny away from the room into a plush room with a large sofa. The room looked so warm and cozy that Danny's eyes started flickering. Wow, how long had it been since he last slept? Two, three days? His body sagged with exhaustion. He didn't even make it to the sofa, collapsing onto the oriental rug.

* * *

Dan held up Pandora's box. Opening the machine's panel, he tore apart some wires and reattached them with the box. After hooking it up to the amplifier, he took a step back.

"All good, then."

* * *

Jack and Maddie were pacing furiously, thinking over their encounter with the Fearling. How could there not be room in the thermos? There was always room! Tucker knocked and poked his head in, eyes wide.

"Um... I think you should see this..."

The couple looked at him quizzically. They walked out into the living room and gaped. Dani was sitting in the middle in a meditation pose. The thermos was hovering in front of her face, a pale blue glow emanating out.

"What's she doing?" Jack whispered.

Dani grunted, annoyed.

"I'm _trying_ to share an experience with the Fearling."

"What do you mean?"

"Fearlings are large, dumb creatures. But they can be tamed. Back when I was Dan's adviser, Fearlings were used as the everyday means of transportation. Dan helped me build up my mind to resist the fear. Fearlings send out the fear through telepathic waves. I figured out how to loop the wave around so that I'm looking in its mind. There might be something to help us with Dan."

Jack, Maddie, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie all crowded around the girl. Maddie's shoulder brushed against Dani's, and she gasped. The entire room went dark. She was sitting in a cage, a shackle on her arm. She looked up to see cages filled with other ghosts. One was a large warrior with armor and a spear. Another looked like a younger version of Dani. Dan was out of the cage, picking through some artifacts. He turned to the warrior ghost with a deadly gleam.

"Where is it?"

"I would never tell you."

"Come on, make it easier on yourself. You know I'll find your box either way."

Pandora growled, a sound that made Maddie shiver. Dan's lips curled up into a smirk.

"If you don't tell me, I'll unleash my Fearling beast on Danny's loved ones. Do you know what the beast does? It drives them to insanity, a shell of their formal selves. Their insanity will be on your conscience."

Pandora blinked.

"W-what would you do with it?"

"Oh, you know, making Danny evil, sucking all the good that was ever in his heart. Stuff like that."

Maddie and Jack gasped. A trickle of sweat made it way down their foreheads. Their son... Pandora sneered, her eyes narrowing.

"Ha! I would never help you with such a task."

Dan shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, be that way. I'll just find your box myself."

He marched off, leaving Pandora in a stunned silence. But before he left the warehouse completely, he turned with a smirk.

"You knew the consequences if you didn't tell me-"

He snapped his fingers. Maddie and Jack jumped back in surprise as their cage door flew open. Dan's lips curled up even more. He dug around in a pocket, bringing out a small piece of cloth. It bright orange... Jack's jumpsuit.

"Come 'ere, boy. Find 'em and sic 'em."

Dan's image became blurry, almost nonexistent. Maddie and Jack shook their heads feverishly.

"No... we have to see more! Wait!"

Maddie yelped as she fell back into her own body. Every sense was awake and tingling. Her whole body was trembling, but she didn't care about that. Dani was gripping her head in pain, a sleepy look on her face. Maddie sat up quickly, which was a mistake. Her stomach flipped dangerously. She looked at the others, eyes wide.

"D-Danny's in danger! We have to save him!"

No one got the chance to respond before they were attacked. The ghosts came in, howling at plunging towards them. They took Sam first, their paralyzing claws raking down her face. Next came Tucker and Valerie, until Jack and Maddie were the only ones left. They gathered into a tight circle, back against the others'.

"Are you ready for this?"

"If it means saving Danny."

The ghosts dived in. Instead of whipping out their weapons, the couple closed their eyes and winced as they felt themselves being paralyzed. They were on their way to Danny. _Please don't let us be too late_ , Maddie thought.

* * *

Somewhere in the ghost zone, the Observers slammed their fists on the table.

"Clockwork, I thought you said you'd fix this!"

"I am! I'm designing a special time bubble to trap the Evil One in."

"That's not good enough! He'll figure out a way to escape. This creature is a menace to all creation. We must eliminate him."

"Is that your answer to everything? All you do is observe! Let me work in peace, and you'll have your results."

"What do you need to do in order to get him to the Time bubble?"

Clockwork scratched his head uneasily.

"I-If we could reroute Dan's portal to the bubble, then someone could push him in."

The Observes didn't say anything. They stared at him for what felt like an eternity. A collective sigh ran through the ghosts.

"Very well. Continue with your work. We expect results soon."


	15. Chapter 15

**Just something real quick. I feel like I'm kind of fading with this story, but don't worry, I complete my projects. Whether it be a slow crawl to the finish line or a loud bang, this story will be completed. So if I start going two or more weeks without updating, please don't be afraid to message me with a quick "knock knock? Anybody home?" After this story, I'm going to be finishing Kings and Enemies. After that, probably just some quick one-shots. Thank you to everyone who's being so patient and supportive! :).  
**

* * *

When the ghosts dropped off Danny's friends and family, his first instinct was to try to save them. Who cared if Dan saw through his disguise? Nothing was more important than them... Dan gently led his younger self away from them, over to the machine.

"Just think about it. Soon, all of creation will be ours."

Danny didn't respond. Nodding to his minions, Dan gave out a laugh.

"Delightful! It seems the machine is up and ready for use."

"Maybe you should check with the other ghosts... make sure they're ready," Danny suggested.

Dan rose an eyebrow. He was about to protest when a ghost yelled out from the other room.

"Sir, we're running into complications with the Ezra clone!"

His older self cursed under his breath. He narrowed his eyes at Danny, forcing himself to stay calm. The boy's family and friends were still paralyzed. There was no way Danny would be able to fly them all out of there. He stepped through a door and disappeared into the darkness. Danny watched after him, stomach dropping. He ran to his parents first, turning them on their side. One of Maddie's eyes was still functioning. It looked wildly around the room, focusing in on Danny's face. She made a high-pitched squeal, almost like she was trying to tell him something. Danny gently propped her against the wall, wrapping his hand around hers.

"It's okay, Mom. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Dad or anyone."

Her squeals became more frantic. Maddie's body trembled, trying desperately to move. Danny gave her a small smile.

"Hey, save your strength. You should be able to move in an hour or so."

Maddie's eyes went up and down. Danny tapped on his chin. Eyes widening, he flew up to the podium where the mayor talked. There was a stack of papers resting on top. Grabbing one, he wrote the alphabet on the back and brought it back over to Maddie.

"I'm going to point to a letter. Blink twice when I reach the right one."

His finger skimmed over the top line. She blinked twice when he reached the D. He started over. A-N-G-E-R.

"Danger? Seriously? _That's_ your message? I had absolutely _no_ idea we were in danger!"

She didn't need to speak. Her eyes said it all.

 _Don't sass me, young man. You might be half-ghost, but I can still knock you into next Tuesday_.

"Alright, alright. Let's keep going."

After a few minutes, Danny had the word Pandora. He looked at her quizzically.

"Pandora? What does she have to do with any of this?"

B-O-X.

"Yeah, like that really clears this up."

Y-O-U-E-V-I-L.

Danny blinked, body numb.

"I'm in danger of the evils in Pandora's box?"

Maddie groaned.

Y-O-U-B-E-V-I-L.

"Me? Evil? How? I don't understand-"

"Danny!" Dan called.

Danny jumped up so quickly, he dropped the paper. Dan was back out in the room. He looked frustrated, really unhappy.

"Come along, now. Ezra's clone is missing a key element. As much as I trust you, I'm not leaving you alone."

"A-alright. I'll be there in a minute."

Dan nodded, "I'll be waiting outside. Don't try anything stupid."

"What makes you think I'd do that?"

"Do I even need to answer that?"

Danny listened to the door close before turning back to Maddie.

P-O-R-T-A-L.

"Dan's going to use Pandora's box to make me evil so I'll open the portal?"

C-L-O-S-E-E-N-O-U-G-H.

The corners of her lips twitched upwards. Danny wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck.

"Do you know what this means? For the first time, we have the jump on Dan. He doesn't know our every move."

 _Well, duh. Took you long enough to get it_ , the look said.

He pecked a kiss to her forehead before running to meet Dan. The man was waiting outside. He snorted when he saw Danny.

"Is your family all comfy?"

"Very," Danny sneered back.

* * *

After about an hour or so, Maddie could move her arm. She flailed it in the air, trying to drag herself over to the machine. When she reached it, she banged against the panel and began frantically tearing out wires. A spark shout out of the machine, almost burning her cheek. She leaned back, satisfied with her handiwork. Just as she was about to pull herself back to the others, the machine sputtered. For a second, she saw the box sitting right in the middle of the wires. If she could, she would've gasped. The wires were connected to the box. It was glowing a green energy, replacing the wires she had destroyed. _How is that even possible_? The green aura pulsed, as if making fun of her. She cursed under her breath, trying to take out the wires again. Every time she got close to the box, it would just spawn new obstacles. _At least Danny knows about it._

* * *

Danny watched Dan warily, not sure what to say. His older self was scanning the streets, trying to find whatever he was looking for. Finally, Danny cleared his throat.

"I might be able to find it if I knew what it was."

His older self glared at him.

"It's a special kind of acid that mutates DNA into life. It's called Grintoa. This little town is probably too small to have any."

Danny nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe if we split up?"

Dan gave him a hard look. Danny tried shrugging innocently.

"I'm just saying... it'll make the work go faster."

Dan narrowed his eyes, staring at the boy.

"Fine, but if you go anywhere near the town hall, I'll know about it."

* * *

Danny soared over the harbor, trying to spot something, anything that would help. He was just about to give up and head back into the city when he heard a faint banging. He paused mid-air and looked down to see a large warehouse standing off to the side. His brow furrowed as he inched closer to the structure. The banging got louder and louder, along with a few cries for help. Danny lightly touched the ground and opened the door. His jaw hung open. Cages lined the walls, each containing ghosts. Random boxes were scattered all over the floor, along with smashed up boards. Danny took a cautious step in and was met with a hundred ghosts calling out to him.

"Phantom!"

"Let me out, oh great halfa! Please!"

"Open this cage or I will tear you in two!"

Danny stepped back, eyes wide. His heart started beating furiously as the ghosts pressed themselves against the cage bars.

"Danny?" A small voice piped up.

He turned to see a young Dani smiling up at him. He smiled back and ran over.

"W-what happened?"

"It was Dan. He locked us all up just to keep us away from you."

She moved out of the way while Danny blasted the lock off with his powers. Jumping up, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

"I thought he'd win and I'd never see you again," she said.

He gently patted her back and put her down.

"So Dan thinks all these ghosts would ally themselves with me... right?"

A chorus of agreement rose up from the crowd. Technus bowed low, a crooked smirk crossing his lips. In the cage next to him, Desere punched her fist into her hand. It was Skulker who spoke, his machete above his head.

"For now, we wouldn't mind a temporary alliance. As long as it meant me getting Dan's pelt."

"I can't wait to make him pay," Ember chuckled.

"It's the last time someone will make a fool of Pandora!"

Danny's eyes flickered to his cousin.

"Well, looks like we have our army."


	16. Chapter 16

Danny sucked in a breath. The ghosts cheered loudly as he ripped out a ghostly wail, completely destroying the cages. The ghosts floated up around him, waiting for the plan. Danny pointed towards the warehouse door.

"Dan thinks he's so special. That he can rule over us. Together, we can take him down once and for all! He wants to open a portal and create an army so powerful he can destroy multiple realities. Are you going to let him threaten your ghost zone?"

"I'd rather die that have that insect destroy my world," Skulker growled.

"Great, because I'm tired of all these mind games, double agents and trying to outsmart the other. So here's what we're going to do. Nocturne, tonight I want you to put all his minions to sleep. Put them so far under that they won't wake up for years."

"Finally, some fun."

"During the night, you'll all invade city hall. Technus, it's up to you to mess up the machine. Go crazy. We fight and we take Dan _out_."

"What will we do with him, though? Obviously your Fenton thermos can't hold him."

Danny paused at that. A small frown tugged at his lips. They were right... if the thermos couldn't hold him...

"You can just leave that to me," a voice said.

All the ghosts held up their palms threateningly. Clockwork was casually perched on a high beam, looking down on the scene. He transformed into a child, the smile almost cute.

"Danny, go with your plan. I've just... tweaked it a little."

"But Dan's always a step ahead. What if that plan doesn't work?"

"You have the most fearsome ghosts in creation on your side and you think you'll fail? Don't start thinking that way. You're not a loser."

"In his opinion," Spectra mumbled.

Danny shot her a hard look, making her shrug innocently. Skulker stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"We need to corner the enemy. Get all the ghosts together in the town hall. We'll do the rest."

The ghost-boy gave them all a nod. Leaving them to group and prepare, he flew out into the sky. Dodging around buildings and signs, he felt the gears in his mind begin to work. This... this was going to succeed! He nearly whooped out loud, but stopped himself in time, cursing under his breath. He still had to get all those minions into the hall... Up ahead, he could see the lab where Valerie's dad used to work. It had collapsed, entire sections blown to pieces. Dan was sifting through the rubble, complaining loudly.

"Does this puny world have _anything_ useful?"

"Relax, Dan. Pretty soon, we won't need an Ezra clone."

Dan looked up in surprise and waved Danny off.

"Did you find any of the acid?"

"No, but like I said, we won't need a clone. In fact, I can't wait to meet the real thing."

His older self cocked his head to the side and squinted his eyes.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"Of course I am," Danny replied coolly, "ruling the world? Dictating multiple realities? What's _not_ to love about that?"

Dan hesitated, staring hard at him. Danny kept his expression emotionless, a small bead of sweat forming on his brow. After what felt like an eternity, Dan threw back his head and laughed.

"You're right, anyone who doesn't believe in our vision are all blind children. Together, Danny, we can give this world the ruler it deserves. After all, freedom is humanity's greatest lie."

Danny squirmed, but somehow managed a sick smile.

"Exactly... Shall we celebrate our victory? We can recall the minions, have them be the first to witness true glory."

Dan looked like he was about to shake his head, but Danny glided a bit closer.

"Come on, don't you _want_ to be viewed as a hero? Don't you want crowds cheering your name when you achieve greatness? What's the point of having minions if they don't worship you?"

"Hmm... when did you become so good at manipulating?"

"It's not manipulating if it's the truth. Besides, you know I couldn't possibly manipulate you. After all, I am you."

* * *

Jack and Maddie started crawling at a slow pace. Every time one of their muscles were freed, they used it to their advantage. They could almost reach the door when it swung open. Instantly, the couple sagged, pretending to still be frozen. Maddie's eyes flickered up, watching Dan on the back of a fearling. She almost screamed when she saw his eyes. They looked even more crazed that the last time she saw him... more power-hungry. Danny was riding a smaller fearling, his face illuminated in a way that made the couple shiver. Behind the two of them, hundreds of minions dragged their feet, yelling out encouragement to their master.

"Welcome one and all! Be prepared to witness one of the greatest moments in history! Together, we shall bring this planet to its knees!"

"Under the light of reality's last sunset... we shall crush the humans!" Danny finished.

Dan cackled, his snake tongue hissing.

"Almost sounds poetic... one last sunset."

"Agreed. If only we thought of that back when we were in Lancer's class."

Dan chuckled again.

"You're not too bad, Danny. Come. We must prepare for reality's last sunset."


	17. Chapter 17

Danny stared out the window, feeling the wind gently kiss his cheek. He was wearing a suit similar to Dan's, with a white cape and everything. His hair was slicked up to look "regal". In his opinion, it made him look like a clown. The sun was starting to dip below the city, sending streaks of pink and purple into the sky.

"Come on, where are you," he whispered.

Time was running out and he still couldn't see Undergrowth's signal. Soon Dan would start wondering where he was... just as Danny was about to turn away from the window, the ground rumbled. His eyes turned up to see a tree sprout and grow at the edge of the park. It stretched up, curling and stretching its branches as it went. The plan was on.

Danny strode out, holding his head up. The green paint his friends had put on him was beginning to smudge, but that didn't matter at this point. Dan was up at the podium. He noticed Danny and nearly jumped.

He hadn't realized how much the boy actually looked like him. When he was fourteen, he always described himself as scrawny, but Danny was anything but. Sure, his younger self didn't exactly have a six pack, but Dan could see the muscles on Danny's arms. Combine those with the suit and hair... and Danny looked almost identical to Dan. Turning back to the audience, Dan felt his voice boom out.

"Finally, the glorious day is here. No more hiding in the shadows. As long as you stick with me, you'll always have the power you deserve. Danny, would you do the honors of turning the machine on?"

Danny paused, trying to listen to the outside. He heard a small grunt and smiled.

"The offer's flattering... but I'll have to pass."

Dan blinked. Before he could say anything, the doors exploded. Nocturne held out his arms. The army of minions gasped, grabbing at their faces as their eyes slipped. Some scampered up safety around the ceiling, avoiding Nocturne's wrath. Dan jumped out and ripped loose a ghostly wail. Nocturne screamed as he was thrown against a wall.

"Now!" Danny yelled.

Ember materialized through the floor. Striking a chord on her guitar, the sound battled with Dan's wail. His arms shook with the effort, but he somehow managed to stay upright. Ember simply smirked.

"So it's a rock song you like, huh? I think that can be arranged."

She strummed her guitar again. Danny's hands flew to his ears when he heard every heavy metal song ever written tearing through the air. Dan stumbled, growling at her.

"Foolish girl, you're nothing! Just a teen who died in a stage fire."

Ember's eyes flickered uncertainly. Dan took the opportunity and blasted her with ice. She screamed as the ice melted into water, completely putting out the fire on her head.

"No, no, no!"

Skulker landed in front of her, holding up his blasters.

"No one messes with her!"

A net flew out to Dan. He struggled, gaining an electric shock. Skulker held up his machete with a satisfied grin. Dan looked up at his minions, who were still cowering on some ceiling high-beams.

"Don't just stand there! Attack!"

They overwhelmed Skulker, slashing at his metal suit. That's when the rest of the ghosts decided to surge forward. Dan was surrounded almost instantly, but he lashed out, blasting and hacking through Danny's forces. Technus found his way out and floated towards Danny.

"Ghost-child, is this the machine you spoke of?"

" _No_ , it's an ice-cream machine."

"Ah, your wit is as sharp as ever! Just give me a second."

Technus held up his hands. The machine shuddered with a sigh. The ghost cursed under his breath. Danny rose an eyebrow.

"This machine is extremely powerful. There's some sort of... enchantment? It's hard to tell."

"It's my box!" Pandora said.

"Yeah, and it's turned the wires into living vines. Undergrowth get your butt over here, I need you!"

Undergrowth was trying to break into Dan's shield. He rolled his eyes.

"Must you ruin my fun?"

Dan glanced between Undergrowth and Technus. A low smile crossed his lips.

"Undergrowth! We want the same thing! A world without humans! If you help me, your children can run rampant on the Earth. There will be no one to stop nature!"

"Uh-oh," Danny mumbled.

Undergrowth leaned down until he was at Dan's level. The other ghosts paused, not knowing what to do. The nature ghost nodded.

"It's a deal."

"No! Wait, Undergrowth you don't want to do this!" Danny tried.

"Can you offer me something better, ghost-boy? You'll just stop my efforts, allow your species to industrialize my planet."

Plants shot up from the ground, wrapping around the ghosts. Vortex shot lightning bolts, setting fire to Undergrowth's trees. Dan stood up, waving his arms at Vortex.

"And you, my friend! Us ghosts care not about the weather! You may do what you wish to this planet! Bring rainstorms to the Sahara! Melt the icecaps! I would care not! Unlike young Danny here, who would stop you at the first chance he got!"

"What? No! Vortex listen to me-"

"I must admit, he does have a point. You'll just force me into the ghost zone with those Observers. Forget about it."

Danny took a step back. Some of the ghosts that were free stood in front of him, facing the other two.

"If you don't stop this, I'll mount your pelts on my wall," Skulker said, holding up his weapons.

Vortex and Undergrowth let out short laughs, their bodies glowing with energy. The force field around Dan disintegrated. He pointed at Danny.

"In fact, if you all join me, you can have a piece of my new domain."

Danny's breath caught. Suddenly, Ember held up her guitar threateningly.

"Listen here, dipstick. Unlike some ghosts, we're not weak. You want the ghost zone? You'll have to fight for it."

Dan smirked, his new allies laughing darkly.

"That can be arranged."


	18. Chapter 18

They all charged. Green blasts of energy shot from Danny. Undergrowth growled, smirking as he regenerated. Johnny 13 zipped around the enemies, occasionally sending out his shadow.

"This isn't working!" He called up to Danny.

"Just keep hitting them with everything you got!"

His army gave a silent nod. Ice formed on Danny's fingers, spreading over Undergrowth's roots. Vortex swirled up, covering Dan as he marched forward.

"Insufficient ghost child," Vortex taunted.

Danny's teeth gritted as he lashed out. His allies bashed Vortex, making him topple under their blasts. Dan hid himself under a shield, glaring up at Danny with hate. A shiver ran up Danny's spine, but he held defense in front of the machine, shielding Technus as he worked furiously. On the floor, his parents and friends were beginning to get up and move around. They looked up at the battle around them.

"Attack!" Dani screamed.

She leaped up into the air, nearly colliding with young Dani. The two stared at each other for a second.

"I like your hair."

"Finally, I won't be so short!"

Fire blasted out, crumbling entire sections of the walls and charging the air with electricity. Clockwork materialized next to Danny, shaking his head.

"Your friends and family are brave."

"Yeah... let's just hope it's enough."

The old ghost sighed, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"My time bubble is sensitive. If we don't get Dan in soon, the entire thing might collapse."

Prickles of fear made Danny shudder.

"Then we won't fail."

Sam jumped forward, unsheathing a Fenton thermos. Gasps rose up as ghosts struggled to scramble out of the way. Vortex let out a shriek as he swirled and disappeared into the small machine. Dan cursed loudly, sweeping the ground with green energy. Technus cried out, backing away from the machine.

"What's going on?" Danny asked.

"It's turning on! The box is still inside!"

Danny skidded out of the way, feeling it explode behind him. Several of the ghosts keeled over. Inhuman sounds escaped as their eyes became a dark blood red. Danny's eyes squeezed shut. He could feel the box vibrating in his chest. Maybe he should give in... now that he thought about it, being a ruler didn't sound so bad...

"Danny? Snap out of it! Danny!"

His eyes flew open to meet Sam's. Her brow was creased and she looked sick, but she smiled.

"I won't turn. Please...don't."

She shuddered, swaying back and forth. Dan threw a ghost off his cape, flying forward. Before Danny had a chance to react, the ghost had grabbed him and was dragging him closer to the portal.

"Once you're out of the picture, nothing will stand in my way."

The portal crackled to life, glowing a blinding white. Danny shielded his eyes, kicking out. The other ghosts wailed, slithering into the shadows.

"Huh. I guess it's true what they say. You _are_ your only downfall."

A war cry rose up behind him. Future Dani tackled him, wrestling him to the side. Danny skirted out of the way, escaping into a nearby shadow.

"You were supposed to always be by my side! I thought I could trust you!" Dan snarled.

"And I thought I could stop you from becoming what you are now!"

"You knew I had no humanity! You _knew_!"

Dan grabbed Dani's arm and threw her into the light. She screamed and grasped Dan's fingers. His mouth hung open in shock as she pulled him against her body in a bear hug and disappeared in a flash of bright green. **I know it's implied, but I had to read it twice to get that Dan disappeared with Dani.** The portal shook violently. The light died down to a dull blue, showing images on the other side of Dan's reality.

"Technus, you better have figured out a way to close it! Close it now!"

Technus' arms flailed wildly. The faster he pulled wires out, the faster they repaired. A boy was marching towards them with a triumphant smirk.

"Technus!"

Pandora came out, holding her hands up. The wires shook and rattled dangerously. A hand started coming through the portal. With a last yell, the entire control central blew up into bits and pieces. Before the vines had the chance to regenerate, Pandora rushed forward and scooped up her box. The image in the portal wavered and fractured, splitting into a million images before dying.

Danny breathed heavily, holding his heart. He could still feel the box's power gently beating inside of him. Pandora glided towards him, eyes brimming.

"Congratulations, Child. You defeated your worst enemy."

Danny's eyes flickered to the destroyed portal. Dani flashed through his mind. The way she tackled him away. Danny bit his lip, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

"But at what cost?"

"Child, in a battle, there will always be sacrifices. It's the end that give us reason to fight."

Turning the box upside-down. She switched the reverse and held up the box. A thin trail of dark sand trailed from everyone's mouths. The ghosts who had turned evil now blinked in confusion. Pandora inhaled deeply.

"All is as it should be. I bid you good day."

Sam, Tucker, and Valerie ran up, throwing their arms around their friend. Valerie punched his arm, chuckling.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again!"

Maddie and Jack scooped Danny away from his friends, lifting him up onto Jack's shoulders.

"That was amazing. We're so proud of you!"

"I can already picture it... the new and improved Fentonworks! Imagine us, Maddie, working alongside our ghostly son!"

"A conspiracy!"

"We should start on your jumpsuit," Jack laughed.

They set him down, and he hugged them, burying his face into their shoulders.

"Thank you."


	19. epilogue

Dan's eyes fluttered open, groaning as he shifted. He was floating in what appeared to be the ghost zone... except he couldn't see any of the doorways. He gaped, suddenly remembering what had happened.

"No... I... I couldn't have lost to that... that... ugh!"

"Think again, _Your Highness_."

His head whipped around in surprise to see Dani lounging casually. His teeth ground as he stared at her.

"You cost me my empire! You will pay for this-"

"Yeah, yeah, save the threats. Not sure if you've noticed, but we're kind of in this together."

Dan blinked, tilting his head to the side.

"At least if I have to suffer, so do you."

* * *

"The deed has been done," Clockwork said, giving a slight bow.

The Observers glanced at each other, nodding.

"Very well... but what of the girl?"

Clockwork's gaze cast down.

"What about her?"

"She's innocent, is she not?"

"Do you know what it took to create the time-bubble? Destroying it to free her would be a mistake... plus, I'm pretty sure he can learn a lot from her."

The Observers frowned as best they could without a mouth. They weren't satisfied with the answer, yet weren't willing to challenge the ghost of time.

"And the ghost-child?"

Clockwork nodded again.

"Don't worry, his future is looking bright. There are many twists and turns in time, but I see a heroic soul. Danny's a tough boy, he'll survive. Better yet, he'll thrive. And with his parent now knowing his secret, they can help him... accept him. My friends, we stand on the brink of a new era... to the future!"

"To the future!"

 **Well, this story has been so fun to write :). It may take some time before I write another Danny Phantom story, but sometime in the future, I definitely will. Thank you so much for everyone's who's supported the story. And for those of who were there from the beginning til end, you're awesome :).**


End file.
